This is the time for the gathering of the Seal People. Each year, one by one at first, they come to shore and give birth to small white pups. Great seal cows hang in the sea, fat as butter, shining in the salt water. The pups are born in yellow white fur, their coats too big, and the first few days are spent in quick growth and suckling, seal milk, so rich. They sleep with their heads on stone pillows smoothed by the waves and soon they fill their small fur suits and soon they too grow round. And then it is time for them to learn that seals are of the sea and not of the stone beaches.
With patience their mothers lure them into the water where the waves craddle them, taking their weight, turning them, lifting.
If you spend enough time walking you can witness these things. I have watched as gulls and ravens fight over afterbirth, never quite been there to see a pup being born. I have seen them so small, just minutes old, watched as they take their first milk. In clear water I have witnessed seals mating, a tender, spinning coupling, a weightless dance. I have seen them hunting and watched a seal catch a great bass and bite it through, and watched them nosing out crabs and lobsters. I have seen them bask on rocks as their coats dry from water dark to stone gray in summer sun. I have seen them with stone gray coats, ink dark coats, lichen gold and even copper red cats, but all blend with the beaches, the stones so that sometimes you can look from the cliffs and only if a seal called or if one lifted her head would you know there was fur and stone on teh beach below. One by one you begin to see them until you find that a beach you thought empty of life has 20 or more seals and pups basking on it.
And today I watched a mother and child as she taught him to swim, pushing him under the water until he found that he could move so fast through the waves.
And I have heard them sing.
There is something wonderful in watching as the seal child's world becomes larger than the small circle of mother and milk.
What a wonderful experience. Sadly, I've never seen a wild seal - something to add to the list.
ReplyDelete(I laughed when the word verification came up as gingies - one for your lovely cats, I think.)
I think the cats are wanting to get me out of the way so that they can put something on their blog. They tell me I should be getting on with painting and let them get on with sleeping, catching mice and blogging!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely journey with which to begin my day - seals and water... we are so lacking water here. Seeing that deep turquoise sea feels nourishing right now in the midst of serious drought.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, MY word verification was grettl.... very mythological, we're on a roll of good ones maybe!
oh you are s lucky~what a wonderful thing to see :)
ReplyDeleteWhat precious moments you speak of! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDelete(whines) Noooooo! Don't want to work today! (Alas, job requires that I work weekends!) Want to write stories about a selkie and her towheaded daughter and moonlight duets and lazy afternoons sunning on the rocks with a belly full of fish. . . What was that you were saying about "The chicken of time?" I think it's after me, too. . .
ReplyDeleteEasy to see how the stories about Selkies have come about. I've seen wild seals, but never in the birthing etc. stages. Thanks for sharing your wonderful shots and words
ReplyDeleteAh, now I am going to make you sick, for though I was wandering the cliff tops watching seals swimming I was infact working, because this is my work.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I didn't actualy make it to my studio table to do my 'proper' colouring in work, but I did rest my weary brain so that an image, or maybe two could come in.
Hoping to stay awake long enough for it to get dark tonight so that I can go lie in a field and watch shooting stars falling to earth across the darkest of no moon skies.
What a beautiful thing to witness and have so accessible. Isn't mother nature grand?
ReplyDeleteWonderful to read and to see your fond observations of the seal people... lovingly told and it shows in the way you paint them...
ReplyDeleteThis is a really lovely post.
ReplyDeleteWonderful, wonderful post Jackie. So beautifully captures your obvious love and deep awe for these beautiful creatures. As a slightly selkie/mermaid obsessed person, it speaks to me greatly!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed listening to your visual description as much as your incredible photos - per chance to hear a singing seal...aaah!
ReplyDeleteThank you Jackie for these gorgeous summer pictures.
ReplyDeleteThank you for that little reportage of the wonders of nature! Feel like going for a walk now :-)
ReplyDeleteIncredible Jackie!
ReplyDeleteAnd you got to witness all of it firsthand!
-Dean