I have often seen seals from the coast path and even heard them ‘singing’ from time to time. Usually just one or two and always by just by chance, since I have very little knowledge of when or where to look out for them.
Recently however, I got chatting to a chap who knows the local seal population rather well. As a diver he has come to understand them well and told me that they often feed at night and spend the day relaxing and sleeping.
When the tide is high and they can’t easily fit onto their rocky island, they relax in the water, sometimes with their head up, body suspended vertically below. With their nose out of the water, they close their eyes and sleep for a while. This is referred to as ‘bottling’. If the sea is a little choppy they will find a sheltered spot close to the shoreline.
So, with this new information in mind, I popped down to my favourite seal watching spot at high tide on a day after some stormy weather. There, close to the shore, relaxing and playing were more seals than I have ever seen together before!
Six or seven seals, including two young ones, were gently moving along with me as I walked. I found a place to sit and as we regarded each other it seemed they might find my presence a welcome distraction, entertaining even. I was utterly drawn in by their playful curiosity, their eye contact and their welcome.
We spent a long time together before my grumbling belly pulled me away. Keen to absorb the energy of this incredible experience, I took just a few pictures to share. It is the memory of the connection, of something I can’t put into words, that will stay with me and no doubt draw me back at high tide after stormy weather.