New York Harbor Seals.

City-Kid Review:

I can see two!

To Harbor Seals from Nova Scotia, New York City  is their Miami.

It’s hard to imagine, but it’s true. And being the lucky New Yorkers we are, we have an opportunity to see them, every winter as they lounge like sunbathers, flopped on their rocks, or bending themselves into an extended banana shape.

Where do these seals hang out?
In the Bronx.

Yup. They become Bronx Seals for the winter before returning to Canada for the summer.

Orchard Beach is part of the city’s largest park, Pelham Bay Park, which includes a mansion, two golf courses and an extended, 13-mile shoreline on the Long Island Sound. It is three times the size of Manhattan’s comparatively meagre Central Park.

The day we went, it was grey and raining. Accu-hunch had declared that day would be an unseasonably warm and sunny 50 degrees, and putting our mistaken trust in them, we rented a car for the seal adventure.
Alas.
Sunny it was not.
It was grey and it was raining.

A lot.

But true to intrepid New York form, we went anyway.

It was amazing.

We stood, in the rain, looking through binoculars and very powerful telescopes on tripods, at a series of rocks not too far from the shore but too far to see in detail, on which was gathered a  pod of about 9-10 seals, including pups.

What were they doing?
Lounging and holding themselves in banana shapes.

Did they care about us? No.
Did they respond to us? No.
Did they even, ever so slightly, register our existence? No.

In fact, they couldn’t care less what we did, said or thought.

They barely moved.
They had gone south for the winter and were content.

And it was the most thrilling thing we have done all year.

Need to Knows:

Location: Orchard Beach, Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx. Walk all the way to the end at section 2 or 1. You can view the rocks from their or you can work further into the Island Preserve, and get a little closer in there. The rocks will be at a slightly different angle but you can still get a clear view.

Apparently there is a bus you can take there, but I recommend driving if you can. Follow the directions for City Island and then turn off for Orchard Beach. There is an enormous parking lot. Park as close to the beach as possible, on the left hand side of the lot, to minimize walking. That is the closest you can get by car then walk the rest of the way. You enter the beach at about section 4, so you have to walk a few sections to get to the end, at section 1 or 2.

Cost: Fuh-ree!

Bring strong binoculars or a telescope, preferably with a tripod.

The bathrooms are located at section 8, which is a bit of hike (the ones at 4 were closed when we were there). So remind your city kid to go before you leave your apartment! (Unlike us)

The seals are usually there from October until the end of March. The Park Rangers service often arrange seal viewings. There is one coming up on March 10th, from 1-2.30pm. Just show up. They provide telescopes and you may want to bring binoculars, if you have them. Here is a google map of the location.

Top-Tip

In the winter, many of the Park services are closed, so it’s a good idea to bring everything you think you will need
(and – benefit from our error –  have your city kid use the bathroom before you travel)

City island is close by and they have a number of restaurants. These seemed to be, mostly, a range of seafood-Italian places. They all looked good. However, we decided to stop at Tino’s Deli on Arthur Avenue, as when City Kid asks to have “Rosa’s pasta shells with broccoli”, who are we to stop those greens being devoured?

Do you have a favorite New York City Park experience? Please tell us about it in the comments section.

Sign up to become a City-Kid Insider. You will receive upcoming adventure tips and ideas, which I only share on email.