Seal Watch
In 1985, Dian Hardy and other local activists from Jenner discovered that the harbor seals at Goat Rock State Beach were in greater danger from beach visitors and unleashed dogs than from the pollution of a recent sewage spill into the Russian River. In response to these concerns, they organized shifts on the beach at the river mouth where they educated visitors about the federally protected marine mammals at the beach. This began one of the first Stewards-supported programs, Seal Watch. Today, volunteers supported by Stewards assist the public in safeguarding this local harbor seal habitat, the largest on the Sonoma Coast.
Tasks: Seal Watch volunteers offer interpretation in sight of the rookery at Goat Rock Beach near the mouth of the Russian River or at the boat launch near the Jenner Visitor Center. Park visitors are informed about the harbor seals’ identification, natural history, their international protection under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and overall conservation with the help of a Seal Watcher. Beachgoers from near and far are able to view the animals from a safe distance with help of ropes, signs, and binoculars maintained by Seal Watch volunteers.
Meeting times: The Seal Watch season extends from March through Labor Day. Shifts at Goat Rock Beach are each 3 hours on weekends, with the AM shift from 11 AM – 2 PM and the PM shift from 2 PM – 5 PM. Shifts at the boat launch in Jenner are from 10 AM — 2 PM on weekends.
https://stewardscr.org/sonoma-coast-volunteer-program-seal-watch/
