[Paddlewise] Seal behaviour ?

  While paddling in the BC Gulf Islands, my wife and I have noticed a 
repeated seal behaviour, but we weren't sure why the seal would engage in 
it with so much effort.

Typically, the solitary seal would regularly slap the water with its tail, 
making a loud slapping sound, and repeat this a few times in rapid 
succession, or many times over several minutes or more. We didn't see any 
indication of it trying to stun a fish (at least nothing large enough to be 
brought up above water and gulped down), nor any indication of hunting in 
packs. We wondered if it were an attempt at communicating over longer 
distances, or some other purpose.

Does anyone have information on this behaviour?


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