The growing population of seals which congregate off the south shore of the Vineyard are about to become something more than competition for fishermen and an attractant for sharks. They will be a sightseeing attraction, bringing tourist dollars.

At least this is the hope of the operators of the fast ferry service which last year began regular runs between New York and the Island.

This week, Steamship Authority governors gave approval for the ferry operators Seastreak LLC to expand their Vineyard operations to include sunset cruises and seal-watching tours.

The New York service, which can carry up to 400 passengers, leaves Fridays and returns Sundays. Until now, it has sat idle in New Bedford on Saturdays.

But this month they went to the SSA, seeking use of its Oak Bluffs terminal so it could run three daily tours, provisionally scheduled for 10 a.m., noon and 5 p.m. The service will begin this Saturday and run at least until Labor Day weekend.

Boat line governors agreed, provided the service did not interfere with SSA ferry schedules, that the operators ensured their own staff would make sure passengers did not bother SSA staff, and they paid a per-passenger dockage fee.

The June meeting of the board, held in Vineyard Haven, also completed the annual performance review of boat line general manager Wayne Lamson, a review that was highly favorable.

The general manager’s work was variously described as “great,” “excellent” and even “god-like.”

In fact, governors spent a longer time discussing the adequacy of the complex, points-based assessment form they are required to fill out than they did on the subject of the assessment. They resolved to revise it before the next assessment.

One measure of performance which is not formally assessed, but on which several governors commented, was the fact that the SSA now is seldom newsworthy. There was a time when SSA ructions regularly made the front pages. Now, observed Nantucket governor H. Flint Ranney, it seldom made even the inside pages on his Island.

Mr. Lamson, for his part, attributed the smooth operation of the authority to the broader management team and staff.

In other business, governors considered draft winter and spring operating schedules for next year that were not significantly different from this year. It is proposed the winter schedule would start four days later, on Jan. 3, and run one day longer than in 2010. The spring schedule would start one day later and run four days longer than in 2010.

The meeting was brief and relatively smooth sailing. Traffic numbers are marginally up on the Vineyard route; the major current projects — the new Oak Bluffs terminal and modifications in Hyannis — are respectively finished and mostly finished; even the long-discussed process of building a new bus shelter at the Tisbury terminal is almost done.