When the waters up north grow too cold or freeze solid, bald eagles and seals migrate south to Connecticut to find the food and comfort they need. Which means you can migrate to several spots in the state to watch them at work and play. Mix and match them in a way that suits your schedule.
Seals that are native to Maine escape south to Long Island Sound every winter for warmer waters and a somewhat milder climate. Seal Watch Cruises offered by Project Oceanology in Groton take you out onto the Sound beginning in early March. It’s an adventure that will test your hardy soul, but the rewards are memorable.
Captain Mark of RiverQuest knows the lower Connecticut River and its surrounding hills as well as anyone (“millions of years of experience,” as he puts it) – and that includes the location of the bald eagles that come down from the north every winter (and some who are now year-round residents as well). RiverQuest’s Winter Wildlife Eagle Cruises depart from the Connecticut River Museum in Essex, beginning in early February.
Beginning the third week of December and running into March, the eagle observation post is open at the Shepaug Dam on the Housatonic River in Southbury. Chances are good that you’ll spot an eagle or several here (one great day last winter, 15 made their presence known) and take in educational exhibits and breathtaking photos.