Seastreak offers Winter Eco-cruise around Sandy Hook

Saturdays, March 5, 19 and 26
Boat departs from Highlands Terminal at 12:15 p.m.
326 Shore Drive
Highlands, NJ
Adults $45, $30 Children 12 and under
Click here for more info and to purchase tickets

Join the American Littoral Society aboard the Seastreak ferry for a Seal and Bird Eco-Cruise on Saturdays in March. We'll explore the area and discuss the incredible history, geography, and ecology of this unique environment.

Sandy Hook Bay and the greater NY/NJ Bight are well-known for their abundance of diverse wildlife. Whales, rays, and sea turtles populate these waters during the summer months, but winter is the best time to see seals and many migratory birds!

For 61 years, the American Littoral Society has cared for the coast and promoted the study and conservation of marine life and habitat. Our Eco-Cruise follows the requirements of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 in order to protect habitat and marine animals in and around Sandy Hook. We believe it is imperative to give the wildlife around Sandy Hook the courtesy and respect they deserve. Please join us as we safely gaze upon them in their natural habitat from a proper distance.

Trips will depart at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, March 5, 19 and 26 from Highlands, NJ. From there we'll travel around Sandy Hook and to surrounding areas where seals and birds are known to gather.
 
New Yorkers who wish to attend the cruise may present a Seal and Bird Eco-Cruise ticket to board the 10:25 a.m. Seastreak ferry (from Battery Maritime Building, Slip 5) or the 10:45 am ferry (from East 35th St.) boat to Highlands, NJ free of charge. This will get you to the Highlands terminal by 11:45 am, just in time for the Seal and Bird Eco-Cruise. You may then ride the 4:30 pm boat from Highlands back to NYC using your Seal and Bird Eco-Cruise ticket to board.

1. Learn from the experts
   Staff from the American Littoral Society will be on each cruise to provide species identification support and additional information about the animals spotted. The narration will give you more time to take in the scenery and reduce the amount of time you spend flipping through ID books! Topics will also include commentary on geography, ecology, and history in relation to Sandy Hook Bay and the NY/NJ Bight.
2. Grey seals and harbor seals
   Although seals spend most of their life in the water, they also like to spend time on land to bask in the sun. This is called a ‘haul out’. Lucky for us, Sandy Hook is a popular haul out area for harbor seals and gray seals each December through March. On the cruise, we will travel to these locations to get a good look at the seals. Then we will head north to a couple more haul out sites on Hoffman Island, Swinburne Island, and under the Verrazano Bridge.
3. There is no better place in the country to go bird watching
   That’s right! New Jersey is often regarded as the country’s best state for bird watching. New Jersey has a great diversity of habitats and is positioned directly in the path of the Atlantic Flyway (a major migratory bird highway). On our cruise you will get the chance to see a wide variety of shorebirds and seabirds, including northern gannets, loons, scoters, double-crested cormorants, grebes, brants, and gulls. Don’t forget your binoculars!