Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge

Very nice and quiet place to hike and a ocean view relaxation, I’ve been coming here for a couple of years and still enjoy the sunset.

I’m a budding birder, so this is why I came here.
I wasn’t aware that the aim of the group tour was more about education and less about touring the wetlands. It ended up feeling more like a high school field trip. If you’re all about birding, first off, don’t come in the summer because there’s much less of them. Come in the winter time. They said January and February are the best in terms of volume, the height of migration. So, it still may be worthing coming here during that time.
They have you go through a lecture/​tour on their garden, then a lecture on their shellfish and other aquatic animals, then there’s a video, and then finally a lecture about birds. The shellfish and bird lectures took place in the wetlands so that’s when you get to see and be in the wetlands, but you don’t get to traverse a lot of it, just a tiny portion. They’re pretty tight-​fisted about it, I guess because it’s within the military base. But if you’ve spent time at nearby Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, than the tour here by comparison is a let down. I still may want to come in the winter time out of sheer curiosity because their wetlands seem pristine compared to Bolsa Chica, and I have a feeling the animals feel safer here.
It’s fine if you’re not a birder and just want to get a peak behind all the gates of this sprawling military base.

The only free public tour (8:30−11:30) is the last Saturday of the month; reservation is required @
by the Wed. before event.
It was interesting the nature film and introduction. The garden and marsh would be best seen during the Spring for the garden bloom or Fall for the migration of birds. I would like to come back for these 2 popular seasons; saw a few birds and a stingray. Bring your cameras for the wildlife and binoculars, too.
The volunteer guides were informative and nice and the reservation staff were friendly, too.

Nice little wildlife refuge. You have to make reservations, however, due to its being within a naval station. No cameras or other video recording is allowed (and no smoking). You’ll have to stay within the designated refuge site, so it is best to keep up with the volunteers there. I got a good look at some wildlife, and enjoyed chatting with those refuge volunteers!