Seal Watching on the Manhattan II

When the tall buildings and cold weather start bringing me down in winter, one sure-fire way to perk up my frozen spirits is to look for harbor seals. New York has several places to see seals as they haul out, happily basking in the winter sun. I mean, really, who can be glum when a seal acknowledges your existence? Check out this chubby guy off the coast of Staten Island. Who could resist?

*Harbor seal, Mount Loretto Unique Area, Staten Island, February 10*

*Harbor seals hauled out at Swinburne Island, seen from the Manhattan II, February 23*

Fortunately for seal lovers, Classic Harbor Line, a boutique cruise line that leaves from Chelsea Piers in Manhattan, added an Urban Naturalist Tour: Seals, Seabirds & Winter Wildlife that takes seal seekers around Hoffman and Swinburne Islands in Lower New York Bay. I was invited by Classic Harbor Line to join a tour on February 23 and, thanks to the guidance of Russell Jacobs, the cruise’s naturalist host, I and my fellow passengers saw more than 50 seals, including one as we left Chelsea Piers that was eating a fish in the Hudson (I hadn’t even had time to unpack my camera!).

*Classic Harbor Line check-in booth, Chelsea Piers, February 23*

My cruise was scheduled for 9:30, and I made sure to get to the boat in plenty of time to figure out where I was going and not be rushing. I received my ticket and checked out the Manhattan II from the dock.

There are many joys to cruising from Chelsea Piers. After seeing our first seal in the Hudson, we then got terrific views of the Statue of Liberty, the Staten Island Ferry, Governors Island (with great cormorants wishing us bon voyage from Lima Pier), and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge from afar and below.

We headed for two islands off the shore of Staten Island. These islands provide an interesting chapter in New York’s history. Before Ellis Island became the main entry point for immigrants in January 1892, boats carrying immigrants to New York were boarded before they docked, and those found to carry people with infectious diseases had to send their passengers to the Quarantine on Staten Island.

After Staten Island residents rebelled, in 1860 the government began heaping piles of sand dredged from New York Harbor into two mounds. These new quarantine islands — Hoffman and Dix (later renamed Swinburne) were completed in the 1870s and used through the early 1900s to quarantine new immigrants. Swinburne housed those found to carry infectious diseases, and Hoffman was used to detain those who were exposed but asymptomatic. (The Gothamist has published some fascinating photos of these islands.)

As immigration waned in the 1920s, the islands were used less for quarantine. By the start of World War II, the United States Merchant Marines opened a school on the islands. By 1947, the islands were off-limits. The islands are now part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, where they are used as bird sanctuaries for shorebirds and a resting place for hauled-out seals.

We circled Swinburne Island, where we saw at least 50 seals on the rocks.

*Harbor seals on the rocks, Swinburne Island, seen from the Manhattan II, February 23*

After circling Swinburne Island, we began our return to Chelsea Piers. On the way, I was so excited to see long-tailed ducks, both in the water and in flight. (I call them Snoopy ducks.)

The cruise back to Chelsea Piers gave us magnificent views of the harbor, Lower Manhattan, and the Statue of Liberty.

What a wonderful morning in New York! I want to note that Classic Harbor Line provided drinks and a breakfast buffet of bagels, yogurt and more, which I didn’t try. (I learned a while back not to eat too much before I go on what might be choppy water, and while on a boat smaller than a huge cruise ship. I really wanted to spend the cruise taking photos, which I was able to do because I didn’t get seasick or too wobbly!)

I understand Classic Harbor Line will resume this winter nature cruise in December. Meanwhile, they offer lots of other chances to cruise around Manhattan this spring, including a jazz cruise. So many reasons to love living in New York!