SEAL ISLAND WILDLIFE REFUGE — Twenty-two miles out to sea southeast of Rockland in Penobscot Bay, a colony of gray seal mothers and their pups are today lallygagging at Seal Island National Refuge, one of 56 islands collectively known as the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge. The island is a mile long and just 100-300 yards wide, comprised of mostly rocky coastline with a grassy interior and one small source of fresh water.

Refuge Manager Beth Goettel, based in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's MCINWF office in Rockland, said this is the first winter high-definition video has been streamed live from the web cam set up on the island.

"The web cam was originally set up to monitor the puffins and other migrating birds in the spring and summer, but it is great to watch in the winter now as it helps everyone realize that these islands are important to monitor year-round," said Goettel. "In addition to puffins and terns and other migrating birds, we learned that bats spend time on the islands, depending on the vegetation on each one. Some of the islands get really heavy songbird use, such as on Monhegan, and it's pretty much important to monitor them all year-round."

Currently, gray seals are pupping on Seal Island, said Goettel.

"They stay white for about a month, and then the pups go out to sea with their moms hunting. January and February is pupping time for the gray seals," she said.

Soon after the gray seals depart the island to live primarily in the ocean; harbor seals begin their pupping activity. It's a transition that works well for the two species of seals.

"Harbor seals are the more common seal in Maine, and they pup a little later in the season. There are a lot of interesting things in nature, such as habitat sharing, which allows them to use the same island but at different times," said Goettel.

The island is closed to the public, both to protect the seals from human contact and disturbance, and because unexploded ordinance remains on the island.

Both Seal Island and nearby Duck Island were used for bombing and naval artillery target practice during World War II and the Korean War, beginning in the 1940s. The Department of Defense continued to use Seal Island as a bombing target until 1966. There was a three-day disposal operation subsequent to that, but the island was not fully cleared and in 1978, fire burned underbrush and detonated buried ordinance, causing several explosions, according to an Army Corps of Engineers 2006 report. The fact that the fire exposed uncleared ordinance deemed the island unsafe.

Ownership of the island was transferred to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services in 1972, when it became part of the Maine's Coastal Islands Wildlife Refuge.

Biologists with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service work with the migratory species, said Goettel, while the National Audubon Society monitors the seal colonies in addition to its work with birds.

Seal Island is recognized as the largest gray seal pupping island in Maine. In addition, harbor and gray seals are common on adjacent ledges and in surrounding waters throughout the year.

"The population has been increasing over the years," said Goettel. "There used to be a bounty of them, through 1962, which really decimated their numbers down to only a few seals in the state. But since the Marine Mammal Protection Act passed in 1972, which prohibits the killing or harassment of seals, their numbers have been on the rise in Maine."

Toward the end of May, usually in the third weed, seabirds begin to arrive, including terns and puffins. Puffins usually stay on the island through the end of July, and then like all ocean animals, head out to sea.

"We don't even really know where the puffins go yet, but we're working on it," said Goettel. "Because they are in the middle of the ocean somewhere, we don't know exactly where they go."

• Gray Seal Pupping Cam
Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge, Maine
Best viewing time: Daily, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Eastern time)

During the shortest days of the year, hundreds of gray seals clamber onto Seal Island for an extraordinary mass breeding event. At this second largest of just four U.S. colonies, the seals come ashore for just a few weeks to give birth and feed their pups. The 300 pound females have one pup per year, with the peak of births in mid January. At birth, the compelling pups are dressed in a suit of thick, white fur (lanugo) which they begin molting at about three weeks of age.

Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge is a 65 acre sanctuary managed in collaboration with the Audubon Seabird Restoration Program (Project Puffin), which operates a summer field station here. The program has successfully restored Maine's largest colonies of Atlantic Puffins and Common and Arctic Terns. From May through August, the seabirds can be viewed on live cameras operated by explore.org.

For over 200 years Seal Island was also a summer campsite for fishermen harvesting herring, cod, lobster. Excessive seabird hunting for food and feathers led to the loss of the puffin colony here. From the 1940s to 1960s the Navy used the island as a bombing target. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acquired the island in 1972. The island is closed to public landing because of the unexploded ordinance and unique wildlife. Today, seals face new threats including entanglement in fishing gear, chemical and plastic pollution and illegal hunting. They are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.

More cams:

• Ouwehand Cam - Polar Bears

Ouwehand Zoo - Rhenen, Netherlands
Best viewing time: Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Central European Summer time)

Twin cubs Luka and Lynn romp and play in their tundra exhibit at the Ouwehand Zoo in Rhenen, Netherlands, watched by Huggies, their attentive mother. The little ambassadors for their species help inspire people to reduce their carbon footprint. Other polar bears in the exhibit include Huggie's older daughter, Freedom, and her cub, Siku. On Mondays and Tuesdays the male bear, Victor, is featured.

The Ouwehand Zoo is part of the Polar Bears International network of Arctic Ambassador Centers, which provide leadership for greenhouse gas reductions in their communities.

• Misty's Pups - Nursery Cam
Brookeville, Md.
Best viewing time: live, 24/7

Meet Misty's litter of future service puppies. These five Labrador Retriever pups were born on December 28th and have already begun very important work — helping to heal the invisible wounds of our Nation's Combat Veterans. Recovering Service Members at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the National Intrepid Center of Excellence in Bethesda, MD are engaged in the critical task of socializing the pups through puppy petting. The litter will spend the next two years lifting the spirits of Wounded Warriors and giving them a therapeutic and purposeful mission. By volunteering to train the pups through the Warrior Canine Connection program, these Warriors will both address their symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress and prepare the pups for future lives as service dogs for their disabled comrades.

• Service Dog Project - Great Danes
• Puppy Hill (outdoors cam)
• Indoor Puppy Room

Ipswich, Mass.
Best viewing time: live, 24/7

Meet the new litter of Great Dane puppies born Oct. 18, 2012, at the Service Dog Project. Located in Ipswich, Mass., the Service Dog Project rests on a 12-acre property with heated kennels, fields and a large arena. These areas provide the necessary space to raise the dogs from birth to graduation, and even back for retirement if needed. Chaos' eight service puppies will eventually be placed with people who have Multiple Sclerosis, individuals with Friedreich's ataxia and veterans with disabilities. Each dog receives extensive training for balance, and once a dog is paired with an applicant, the dog is uniquely trained to suit the recipient's needs.

Cams from Wildlifecam.com

• Ardeer Cam

•  The Critter Window Cam

This is the first 24/7 streaming live video of wildlife in Indiana. It is located on our 40ac farm in se Indiana. You may see Deer, Coon, Muskrat, Beaver, mink, Rabbit, Squirrels and more birds than room to name. You never know what you will see next. There are presently 2 cams that I switch bettween. Cam 1 is in the woods and cam 2 is on a large creek and the most active. They are 24/7/365 color. When the site is compleated if there is such a thing. There will be 7-10 cameras including a pan tilt zoom camera (PTZ) to choose from to stream at the push of a buttion. I hope to add more bandwithe for another live stream by fall 2010. I hope you enjoy your stay and return often.

• Deer Trail Cam 2

Deer Trail is located in Central Minnesota. The three cams are set up in a panoramic view of the woods. A small pond, mineral pit and clover patch, attract deer and other animals to this small paradise. Feeders are set up to attract birds, along with suet, which the three variety of woodpecker enjoy.

• Deer Trail Cam 1

Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards can be reached by email at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com or by calling 207-706-6655.