Gracie and I were out helping my friend Ranza look for her missing dog, when we were distracted by a group of black shapes in the water. Ranza snapped this picture on her phone - you can see the shapes just beyond the seagulls. We were informed by a helpful passerby that this unusual sight was a cluster of seals ( or sea lions, see comments below), floating on their backs with their heads extended out of the water and their flippers in the air, in a behaviour called rafting. Apparently they do it to regulate their body temperature. At this time of year the males are hanging out waiting for the females to arrive and mating season to begin. The spring herring spawn apparently has also just begun, so there will be lots of action out in the bay.
P.S. Ranza's dog was found at home, safe and sound.
I believe those are sea lions. They are the ones that float like that, with the head a flipper out of the water. They are hanging around because of all the herring, who are spawning in the Salish Sea right now.
ReplyDeleteI thought they were sea lions too, but the professor who was passing by insisted they were seals. He also said that he had been diving with them and that they were huge, over 1000 pounds. Sure sound like sea lions to me, and Sue, I trust your knowledge.
ReplyDeleteYep, sea lions! Enjoy them there are more to come. That Seeker, always on the move. I love that about him. Shakes up that little community no end, seeing a dog doing his own thing.
ReplyDelete- Gaetanne85