I saw the most wonderful thing yesterday -- a baby seal, playing (?) in the water, not 20 feet from where I was paddling. He started vocalizing -- a pitiful baby noise, a little barky moan -- when he saw me and seemed to follow me for a little way; I did some fast paddling to get away, when I realized he was approaching me. (Hope I did the right thing, assuming mom was out there fishing or something.) He was just unbearably cute, whitish-brownish shining fur, between 2 and 3 feet long. I'm thinking he was born in the last week, if not the last 2 days. Went around the other side of the island, and saw a mother seal nursing a pup hauled out on the ledge! I remember having read (in a MITA publication no doubt) that kayakers alarm them more than motor boats (the stealth aspect), so I started singing, which caused them to look, and slip into the water. The pup was the same size as the other one -- guess it's the pup season! What a thrill! Does anyone know anything about seal pup behavior -- specifically the seeming to follow me? *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Anne Burton wrote: What a thrill! Does anyone know anything about seal pup behavior -- specifically the seeming to follow me? They are unbearably cute, aren't they! As far as being followed by seals - adults or pups, that seems quite common. Just turn your head quickly, and you'll often see (and hear) many seals diving - after following you for quite some time - with heads just above water. I've also had a number of seal pup *close encounters* as the one you describe. One in particular was very special to me. It was a very calm morning on the water - it was glassy, with just little wisps of low-hanging fog here and there. Sound carries very well in such quiet conditions, so I heard the plaintive cry of a pup while it was still a little distance from me. I turned to look, and saw that it was swimming vigorously toward me, and *calling to me*. I stopped paddling, and allowed it to catch up. For the next ten minutes, it *spoke* to me in the most wonderful and varied voice, and nudged my elbows often - occasionally swimming underneath my boat from one side to the other. It's eyes melted my heart. At one point, it climbed onto my bow, sat there, and continued to *talk* to me. An enchanting experience. I'd read that paddlers shouldn't give such a pup a *ride*, as that could take the pup away from where it's mother might have been, so I made sure I remained in about the same place. Though I could have, I also didn't reach out and touch it - not knowing how my scent might affect how it's mother might react. I do try to be as *low-impact* as possible, but this encounter, as when my whale friends approach me (and do, in fact, allow - and even enourage me - to touch them) are at the discretion of the *other* - I simply accept their wonderful attentions. Melissa *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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