PROVIDENCE, R.I. – March 23, 2026 – On Wednesday, March 18, 43 professional scientists, naturalists, and volunteer seal monitors took to the water and shore to continue an 18-year Save The Bay tradition: counting seals in the nonprofit organization’s annual statewide seal count. This point-in-time count is an effort to establish a minimum estimate of the number of seals present in Rhode Island waters. With support from the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, The Nature Conservancy, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and Environmental Protection Agency staff, volunteers counted 590 seals in Rhode Island waters in a span of two hours (click here to view and download photos of the 2026 seal count).
“The Rhode Island Count is a really special event,” said Save The Bay’s Volunteer and Internship Manager, July Lewis. “We have volunteer monitors who report on seal haul-out sites visible from shore throughout the season, and we have scientists doing detailed counts in specific areas as a part of their research. This is the one day we all come together to count every site at once!”
The harbor seal—the most commonly-found seal in Narragansett Bay and along Rhode Island’s southern coast, typically only present in colder months—plays an essential role in the Bay’s ecology as a top predator species. Gray seals—spotted rarely in the Bay but in greater numbers on Block Island—can be found in our coastal waters year-round.
“This single day count is a snapshot and can be affected by weather conditions or just what the seals happened to be doing at that time of the count,” noted Lewis. “Our numbers are a little lower than last year, but looking at our results over time, we can see that the seal population in the mainland area seems to be relatively stable. The seal population on Block Island is changing, with an increasing number of gray seals seen every year since we began monitoring there in 2019. It was unusual to see only one harbor seal on Block Island during the statewide count, but that’s where regular monitoring helps us put it into perspective. We have been seeing more than that this season, just not at the time of the count.”
“As the gray seal population grows offshore (mainly on Block Island), we are trying to document their expansion into Narragansett Bay and further understand their movement ecology,” noted
Tara Plee, Principal Marine Biologist at the Rhode Island Division of Marine Fisheries. “Statewide counts help provide population data, which is critical for proper conservation and management efforts.”
“I am thankful for the volunteers who helped to cover the majority of Block Island’s perimeter shoreline, and more than half of the Great Salt Pond shorelines,” said Kim Gaffett, The Nature Conservancy’s Block Island naturalist. “Without them, covering the entire island would be impossible.”
While Rhode Island’s seals are a delight to watch on the water or on land, human observers sometimes inadvertently put stress on seals, frightening them from their resting spots and causing them to lose precious energy. What may seem like a minor disturbance is, in fact, a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which prohibits the killing, taking, or harassing of marine mammals. When observing seals from land, you must stay at least 50 yards (150 feet) away and be sure to leash and control your dog; when observing on the water, you’ll want to maintain a parallel course at least 50 yards (150 feet) away, which is less threatening to the seals than a direct approach. Canoes or kayaks have low profiles, are very quiet and can seem more like predators to seals than motorboats.
If you see harassment warning signs—such as seals stretching their necks and chests high into the air, moving toward or back into the water, looking at you, or increasing their vocalizations — back off immediately. These signs indicate that the seals are preparing to flee. If the seals enter the water, leave the area immediately to avoid further stressing the animals.
One way to safely observe seals in Narragansett Bay is from the deck of a Save The Bay vessel. Seal tours depart from Perrotti Park in Newport on Saturdays and Sundays through April 26, and with daily tours taking place Monday-Friday during Rhode Island’s April school vacation week, April 20-24. For more information about Save The Bay’s Seal Tours, visit savebay.org/seal.
About Save The Bay
Founded in 1970, the Rhode Island-based nonprofit Save The Bay seeks to protect and improve Narragansett Bay and its 1,705-square-mile watershed. The organization works to achieve its vision of a fully swimmable, fishable Narragansett Bay, accessible to all, through its advocacy, education, and habitat restoration and adaptation work. Learn more about Save The Bay at www.savebay.org.