The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns.
We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
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July 13, 2019
Salish Sea, PacificNorthwest
You never know what you might see out in nature, maybe nothing in particular on a given excursion, but it’s a 100% certainty you’ll see nothing if you don’t go out and look. A day like this was a vivid reminder for me of that truism. I went out.
Stuck at home lately recovering from injury, I talked Mr O into driving me down to the beach where we’d park the car and he could head off on his half hour cardio walk and I could breathe the sea air (to be fair, it doesn’t take much persuasion, he just doesn’t want me to get all wild and crazy leaping around making things worse). I hadn’t planned on walking down the beach very far but Mr O turned around shortly, coming back to let me know there was a seal on the little island right offshore. I hobbled down there and what did I see?
Friendly Seal lounging on a low rock! and a pup!! Nursing!!!
This is the first time I’ve ever seen her, or any other Harbor seal, hauled out at this particular beach. There are people passing by constantly — walkers, bicyclists, cars, trucks — and in summer all that traffic increases hundredfold. The road runs right alongside the beach, so most wildlife tends to stay in the water well away from shore, except for gulls and shorebirds who can fly up instantly.
It’s a rich feeding site though, being a sheltered bay with an eelgrass meadow. There are masses of shellfish, crabs, and other invertebrates. Forage fish. Bottom fish like gunnels, sculpins, flounder. Even salmon. The bay is popular among ducks, loons, grebes and other water birds. Otters regularly hunt here. Osprey stake it out in summer. Seals pass through.
But only one seal visits frequently. I first met her in the fall of 2013. She was a playful youngster, maybe a year or two old at most. Over the next few years I saw her off and on here, and every time we went out in the kayaks she made a point of playing with us, far more friendly than any other seal I've ever seen. We called her the Friendly Seal.
After a few years FS became more standoffish. She recognized us (&/or our boats), said Hi, and continued on with her hunting. I was a little sad she wasn’t as playful but it was clear she was growing up. Harbor seals become mature in just a few years.
It’s been a gradual change. As recently as a few years ago she was still accompanying us in our kayaks, and playing hide and seek.
But even having matured, Friendly Seal is unique among seals. Not only does she inhabit this bay (and the neighboring one), she’s also keenly interested in activity she views on shore, on the docks and boats and among seals and other wildlife that come and go such as ducks. Dogs and children on the beach fascinate her. It was such a cool moment the day my grandchildren came up to visit: my 2-year old granddaughter was playing along the waterline of this bay and we all looked up to see Friendly Seal not more than 30 feet away, watching her. Hello Friendly Seal!
I knew she was the same individual each time due to her markings, and later her behavior, but I didn’t know FS was a she until three years ago. She showed up in July of 2016 here in this same bay with a pup! This is about the age I’d expect her to first start breeding, based on general information about Harbor seals (good source: Harbor seal species profile, Encyclopedia of Puget Sound).
Until our encounter a few days ago I hadn’t definitively seen evidence she’d pupped since 2016 although there were signs she had in 2017. This time there was no question. She was resting on her side looking very serene and her pup was nursing. Here’s a short video I took where you can see that.
She was relaxed but very alert as well. Didn’t mind me standing on the road opposite her rock but she was keeping a close eye on a bunch of tourist bicyclists shouting and stomping around on the dock nearby. Cars and bicyclists passed by and folks across the road were doing yard work. None of that fazed her. It’s like she knows this beach setting really well, and that what’s threatening in her world is out in deeper water. Bigg’s orcas eat seals and fishermen shoot seals. Fast-moving boats run over seals. This bay is a refuge as well as a larder.
I couldn’t stay there watching Friendly Seal and her pup for long due to my physical limitations. I did turn around to see them when I was a ways back down the beach. The pup was done nursing. They both slid back into the sea and swam slowly across the bay heading in the direction of a distant rockier shoreline. The little one appeared to be getting a ride on mom’s back, which is common for very young pups.
The next day I went down to the beach again. No sign of Friendly Seal or her pup. I did see an otter and an osprey though, which I wouldn’t have otherwise; maybe I’ll see FS on another day.
Go outside into nature! For as long as I’m able at all, I will. You never know who you’ll see.
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I love seals. Over the years I’ve posted other experiences with Friendly Seal and seals in general I see around here. Earlier Friendly Seal and Harbor Seal buckets, with lots of further information about them can be found in the links below:
10/27/2013 The Daily Bucket: sunny day seal play
2/16/2014 The Daily Bucket: Harbor Seal, have we met before?
6/20/2014 The Daily Bucket - seal welcome
8/9/2014 The Daily Bucket - seal pupping season
10/26/2014 The Daily Bucket - the fluid grace of a seal
5/22/2015 The Daily Bucket - Friendly Seal sighting
10/12/2015 The Daily Bucket - Friendly Seal in fog
7/22/2016 The Daily Bucket - Friendly Seal is a mom!!
8/10/2016The Daily Bucket - Friendly Seal's pup gets a fishing lesson!
8/26/2016 The Daily Bucket - Friendly Seal and the Bay in August
11/6/2016 The Daily Bucket - Friendly Seal gets playful again; some thoughts about animal play
12/3/2016 The Daily Bucket - Friendly Seal & big yellow dog
6/17/2017 The Daily Bucket - old friends at the bay
9/23/2017 The Daily Bucket - Friendly Seal's new pup?
10/27/2017 The Daily Bucket - a dancing seal
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Partly cloudy this morning in the PNW islands. Onshore flow keeping it muggy. Daytime temps in upper 60s, nighttime into the 50s.
What’s the nature news in your neighborhood?
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