Located in Knox County, Maine, Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. The nearest town is Vinalhaven, about 19.3 km (12.0 mi) away (Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge lies SSE of town).
Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge is a 1-mile-long (1.6 km) island off the coast of Maine, United States near Matinicus Island that is part of the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge. During any given summer season, over 100 species of birds are observed by researchers on the island. It is home to colonies of many types of seabirds, including Atlantic puffins, double-crested cormorants, razorbills, common murres, Leach's storm petrels, eiders, and black guillemots. Seal Island is the last refuge for the dwindling great cormorant population in the Gulf of Maine, with 35 pairs in 2018. A policy of eliminating predatory gulls preceded the recolonization of the island by a large mixed band of Arctic terns and common terns. During the Cold War, the island was used as a gunnery range and bombing test site for the United States Navy. Unexploded ordnance remains on the island,...From the Wikipedia article “Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:39 AM | 90° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:53 AM | 56° NE | 8:22 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:23 AM | 89° E | 6:34 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:07 AM | 123° ESE | 4:01 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 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 | 6:35 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:23 PM | 4:55 PM | 9h 16m |
| February | 6:06 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:16 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:10 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:23 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:31 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 4:37 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 4:17 AM | 4:53 AM | 5:37 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:56 PM | 15h 27m |
| July | 4:32 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:51 PM | 15h 09m |
| August | 5:09 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:12 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:16 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:22 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 5:59 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:14 AM | 3:27 PM | 4:11 PM | 4:42 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 6:30 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:12 PM | 3:59 PM | 4:32 PM | 8h 56m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Island National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:28 AM – 5:08 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 4:04 AM | 1.7 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:29 AM – 2:59 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:45 PM – 2:25 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 1:01 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:33 PM – 11:03 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:26 PM – 8:56 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.85 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (82%). August 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 | 54 | 50 | 53 | 53 | 63 | 67 | 72 | 71 | 69 | 65 | 63 | 58 |
| Low °F | 5 | 10 | 11 | 26 | 38 | 44 | 53 | 56 | 49 | 39 | 20 | 11 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.3 | 5.6 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 6.3 | 6.1 | 7.4 |
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.
- Stay on designated routes and keep a respectful distance — if an animal changes behavior, you are too close.
- 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 Island National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Scenic Viewpoint
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge from Vinalhaven?
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.