Harbor Seals at Fort Ross

Harbor seals live along the foreshore in Fort Ross State Historic Park.

Every year during pupping season, volunteers at Fort Ross collect data on harbor seal abunandance for Point Reyes National Seashore, monitoring and inventory.

Click here to learn more about the survey and to get involved!

Respecting Harbor Seals

Maintain a distabce of 50 feet (about the length of a football field) and move away and out of sight if seals look nervous.

Seals haul out to rest, nurse their young, molt, give birth, and regulate their body temperature. While colonies may mix outside of the breeding season, they do not migrate. Fort Ross State Historic Park is their home. 

Harbor seals are shy and wary of predators and people on land. When they are disturbed, they will "flush" into the water and during pupping season this can lead to pup abandonmment if a mother seal is scared. They can abandon sites if they are disturbed too often. 

Finding Seals in Fort Ross State Historic Park

You can usually see harbor seals in Fort Ross Cove, on the north side of Northwest cape, at Clam beach and occaisionally Windermere. 

The time of day is important! The best time to see them is low tide near the middle of the day. At high tide, their favourite rocks may be inundated and inaccessible for them

Keep your eyes peeled! Harbor seals are harder to see than you would think! Thanks to their mottled brown/grey coat, they are well-camouflaged on the rocky shore.

(Apple Maps, 2024)