Located in Orange County, California, Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. It sits roughly 2.9 km (1.8 mi) E of Seal Beach.
Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge encompassing 1.5 mi2 (3.9 km2) located in the California coastal community of Seal Beach. Although it is located in Orange County, it is included as part of the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex. It was established in 1972. The refuge is a collaboration between the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of the Navy. It serves as a critical habitat and winter stopover for many birds along the Pacific Flyway. Among the birds found at the refuge are great blue herons and the three endangered bird species: California clapper rail, California least tern, and Belding's Savannah sparrow. The refuge is located within Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach. Public access in the refuge is limited or restricted to monthly tours (last Saturday of each month) as it is located within an active military base.From the Wikipedia article “Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 61° ENE | 8:07 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:54 AM | 118° ESE | 4:48 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 54m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Wildlife is most active in the first and last two hours of daylight — exactly when the light is warmest.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:03 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 23m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 11m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 5:59 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 56m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 8 (city sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:31 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:33 AM – 5:33 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:41 AM – 4:51 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:43 PM – 4:13 AM | 4.5 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:49 PM – 3:49 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:45 PM – 2:25 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:11 PM – 12:21 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:24 PM – 10:24 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:42 PM – 8:22 PM | 0.7 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.2 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (68%). September is the warmest month and February the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 74 | 74 | 74 | 78 | 76 | 77 | 80 | 76 | 84 | 87 | 78 | 74 |
| Low °F | 49 | 49 | 48 | 49 | 53 | 54 | 57 | 58 | 58 | 57 | 52 | 49 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 2.6 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this national wildlife refuge
- A 400–600 mm lens (or a crop body) is the usual tool for birds.
- Fast shutter speeds (1/2000 s+) freeze wingbeats; raise ISO rather than lose the shot.
- Migration peaks bring the largest concentrations — see the birding calendar for this state.
- Use auto-loop roads as mobile blinds; animals often tolerate vehicles more than people on foot.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Spring and autumn migration are the highlights; winter brings waterfowl to many southern refuges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens (400 mm+), Bean bag for car window, Binoculars. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Launching or landing drones on National Wildlife Refuge lands generally requires a special use permit from the refuge manager, and wildlife disturbance rules apply everywhere.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
State Park
Lighthouse
Botanical Garden
LighthouseLighthouse
Lighthouse
State Park
LighthouseLighthouseFAQ
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge?
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Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.