In late winter and spring harbor seals frequent the rocky shoreline east of Oyster Pond.  They haul themselves out of the water onto these rocks to sunbathe.  NYS Parks and the trails groups lead seal walks from November through April to an area where you can view these adorable pinnepeds.  These woods are remarkably beautiful during the summer and a paradise for a camera buff after a snowfall.  During summer the cormorants, seagulls, and terns are lovely to look at when they take their turn perching on the rocks.

I last visited the Seal Haulout Trail on an overcast Wednesday and didn’t encounter even one other hiker on the trail.  I wasn’t alone however, and was glad that I had applied insect repellent to discourage the mosquitoes and a hat to keep the deer flies out of my hair.

When I arrived at the viewing area on the bluff, I still had a lot of time and energy, so I set off in a northeasterly direction along the Block Island Sound shoreline walking towards Oyster Pond.  There is a walkway down through the bluffs from the viewing area.  Beach fence is used to keep it selectively accessible to pedestrians, and to keep motor vehicles out.  After a mile walk along a rocky coastline, I came to the opening in the bluffs dividing the Pond from the Sound.  I visited both bodies of water and then started back along the coastline.