While New Englanders are heading south to Florida or the Caribbean to get out of the cold, seals are also heading south for warmer climes - that is, from Maine to Long Island Sound.

If you find yourself stuck here in the freezing temps, cheer up. February and March is the ideal time to see seals in their Connecticut winter habitat. Project Oceanology in Groton has trips scheduled every weekend to visit popular winter seal haunts in Fishers Island Sound aboard a boat with a heated cabin and plenty of hot chocolate.

Project O's Enviro-Lab vessel has been taking passengers out on seal watches for more than 15 years. Lauren Rader, chief instructor at Project O, says the excursions are very popular, mainly due to the fact that people are so fascinated by seals.

"I think people are attracted to their big eyes and how they stare at you - they're naturally curious mammals," she says.

She adds that there's also the mystique of Selkie, a mythological creature in folklore that's said to transform from a seal in the water to a man on land.

Unlike Selkie, seals are not unusual visitors to Long Island Sound.

"Up until the early 1900s, seals were very common in this area, but then their New England population decreased because of hunting," Rader explains. "Fishermen saw them as competitors for ground fish and shellfish, which meant their range shrunk up to the Gulf of Maine and Canadian Maritime Provinces.

"So, once they were federally protected with the passage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972, their numbers started to increase again, and so their range also started to increase," Rader continues.

"Over the years, as their numbers continued to expand, they moved here earlier and stayed longer."

Rader says that although many seals travel down to the Sound as early as October, the seal watches are held during February and March because that's when it's most likely to be able to consistently see them.

"As Long Island Sound warms up, it starts to get too warm for the seals and they (migrate north)," she says.

Rader explains why the seals have favorite "haunts" - rock formations that they return to every year in Fishers Island Sound.

"If you go to the sea lion demonstration at Mystic Aquarium, you'll see that sea lions are very agile. They move around very well on land and are a social animal," she says. "Seals, which is what we have in Long Island Sound, don't move around well on land and are not particularly social animals.

"Their tendency is to go onto these rocks that are in deep water, so if they feel threatened, they'll basically fall into the water and swim away.

"They can't just be any rocks," Rader stresses. "They have to be rocks that are exposed at high tide, so the seals can come out of the water and rest."

Rader urges people to go on a seal watch if they've never done it before.

"It's an amazing experience," she says. "They're beautiful, curious animals. There's a minimum distance we (must maintain) and we're very careful to adhere to that, but with binoculars on board, you can see the animals very well."

IF YOU GO

What: Project O seal watches

Details: Seal watches last 2½ hours and include a 20-minute presentation before boarding the boat to set the stage for what people will see and to answer questions. Even though the boat cabin is heated, passengers are encouraged to wear very warm clothing, deck shoes or boots and to bring cameras and binoculars.

When: The seal watches leave the dock every Saturday in February and every Saturday and Sunday in March. Departure times are dependent on tides for best viewing.

Where: The Enviro-lab boat departs from Project O's docks at the University of Connecticut Avery Point campus in Groton. Go to http://oceanology.org/sealwatch.html for specific times and directions.

Trips also leave from City Pier in downtown New London on Feb. 15 and March 1(10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) and March 21 (2 to 4:30 p.m.) and include free admission to the Custom House Maritime Museum at 150 Bank St. More information at www.nlmaritimesociety.org

Cost: $25 for adults, $20 for children (6 to 12 years old). For safety reasons, no children younger than 6 years old are permitted. Reservations are recommended as space is limited and cruises often sell out.

Info: Call (860) 445-9007 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.