An early season paddling trip to Flat and Seal Islands, off Saturday Cove, Maine.
During the next few weeks, I’ll aim to focus my posts here on some of the critters (winged, on foot, or afloat) that you might expect to encounter if you explore the Maine coast by kayak.
Last week I paddled out to Flat Island and Seal Island from Saturday Cove (Northport, Maine) for this first time this season. The tide was calm and the bay was flat — perfect conditions for sighting seals in the water. Midway on my crossing to Flat Island, I spotted at a distance a cluster of activity. Approaching closer, I found that it was a group of 3 sea gulls as well as several seals that kept resurfacing in that area. Must have been some good fishing in that spot.
As I approached Flat Island and began to circle it, I sighted more seals, both ashore and afloat. I paddled slowly, giving the island a wide berth, so as not to disturb any resting seals. In several instances, seals surfaced near my kayak, popped their heads high out of the water to get a good look at me, and then rather calmly dipped back beneath the surface.
In all, my informal count came to 21 seals on and around Flat Island. (Disclaimer: some seals may have been counted more than once if they followed me as I circled the island). This seems like more than in recent years.
Overall, the Maine harbor seal population is said to be doing very well, having increased from just 4,600 in 1973 to more than 28,000 today. Prior to 1972, harbor seals were hunted due to being a perceived threat to the fishing industry. In the first half of that century, Maine and New England’s harbor and gray seals were nearly hunted to extinction as a result to bounty policies. However, scientific studies have not shown seals to have a negative impact on fish stocks. The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 protects seals and other marine animals from hunting and various forms of harassment.
Harassment of the inadvertent kind is a big issue for boaters as resting seals are often alarmed by the sight of kayaks and will leave their resting spots to go into the water. If this only happens once or twice a day, it probably isn’t much of a problem, but if it happens repeatedly or occurs during pupping season, it adds a lot stress to the seals and can negatively affect their survival.
I’ve wondered about migration of harbor seals, which seems to be a subject of debate. According to at least one source, “our” harbor seals actually have dual residency. Jim Murtagh, states that Maine harbor seals are not Maine residents exclusively, as many of them winter on Long Island Sound and then migrate back up to Maine early each spring to give birth to pups.
Anyone who sights a stranded or injured seal can report it to Allied Whale at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor.
Resources:
http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/learning/education/pinnipeds/harborseal.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbor_Seal
http://www.mita.org/learn/history/seals
Google Map of Flat Island
http://www.touringkayaks.com/blog2/2008/05/paddling-to-islesboro.html
http://www.paddletrips.net/sealisltrip.htm