Sandy Hook, NJ - Marine Mammals - Coney Island, rabbits, harbor and grey seals, dolphins on the Navesink, dog-fishing, whales, deer, dogs, groundhog, fishing, http://fishingwithbobj.com/ - Dave Grant

Sandy Hook's Mammals
Check out another interesting mammalian feature - Dave's Brain!
Dolphins on the Navesink

	A few dolphins (Tursiops) sometimes move into the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers and Sandy Hook Bay in the summer. But they are more likely to be seen offshore from boats in the fall and early winter; sometimes in great numbers. The largest schools we see off Sandy Hook are usually in late December.
	Whales are rarely sighted off Sandy Hook; primarily in the fall and winter.
(Photo courtesy of legendary New Jersey bass chaser and Brookdale professor of Piscatorial Science, Bob Jaroszewski. Learn to fish with him at http://fishingwithbobj.com/) Fishermen frequently report Harbor seals (Phoca) in the surf chasing herring and other baitfish like sand eels.	Gray seals (Halichoerus) are more common farther north. The best time to see seals off our beaches is on calm days on winter field trips. Look for them just outside the breakers. Sometimes observers mistakenly believe they have seen a dog that is out for a swim.
The squirrel (Sciurus) is the rarest mammal here since there are few nut trees on Sandy Hook to sustain it. They probably are dropped off by mainland visitors who trap them at bird feeders. They do poorly because of the lack of proper food.	Like many mammals, the opossum (Didelphis marsupialis) is secretive and tends to be nocturnal, so it is rarely spotted, except as a road-kill.
Moles and voles are rarely seen, except when found dead on the sidewalks or paths.	The groundhog (Marmota monax) is also uncommon on Sandy Hook. Like the squirrels, they may get a free ride to Sandy Hook from people who trap them in their gardens.
"Coney" Island? 2006 - The Year of the Rabbit. The Institute lawn is mown about twice a year ("Whether it needs it or not.") and this year our crack maintenence staff uncovered a nest of baby rabbits (Sylvilagus flordanus). Fewer predators on barrier beaches allow rabbits to thrive, especially when populations of hunters like the fox have declined. This seems to follow a 10-15 year cycle. "Coney" is an English word for rabbit and rabbit fur.	Raccoons (Procyon) are the most common large mammal. Although nocturnal, they are often active at dusk and can be seen leaving their hiding places then. Do not be tempted to feed them and do not leave trash at the beach.
The red fox (Vulpes) is rarely seen during the day, so it should be considered hungry and stressed, or sick, or both if it is encountered during daylight hours.	Never feed wildlife. This also makes them fearless of people like this one, and more likely to be hit by cars.
Regardless of how helpful they think they are being, dogs should be kept on the leash at the park.	"Dog fishing"
On the ice searching for seals on the coldest day of the year. Go to the Travels With Dave PAGE for other interesting creatures.	An exhausted raccoon on the hottest day of the year.
Our newest mammal. Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are unusual on Sandy Hook, and the lack of nut trees and other forest faire makes survival in the winter difficult. A small group is present here for the time being (Spring, 2006) but one has already been hit by a car.	Dogs are permitted on the bayside all year, but banned from the ocean beaches bretween March 15 and Labor Day.
The best time to spot migrating whales is in the late fall and early winter.	Individual humpback whales are identified by the white marks on the flukes.