Fur Seal? What Fur Seal?

Ianab · January 15, 2018, 05:44:15 AM

Was a stinking hot evening tonight, wondering what to have to dinner. I've been sorting and stacking some wood, and Lil's been catching up on computer work for the next term at Kindy. So Lil says "Lets got to the beach". Kids are away for a few days, so why not. Pick up some Hell Pizza and head around to Back Beach in New Plymouth.

So we take care of the Pizza, Lil suggests the extra Jalapenos might have been a bit excessive, but we decide to walk it off.

About an hour to wander down the beach and back, and I say to Lil, "hey, there is a seal laying on the beach". I'd walked past it along the shoreline, and turned to head to the track back up to the carpark, and there it was.

Crazy thing, when I went back and looked at a picture from an hour before, what's in the lower right corner? A sleeping seal that we had wandered right past.

:D We had walked maybe 10ft from it.

Now this one was only small, and sleeping, but if you have never been up close with a fur seal, imagine a Rottweiler with flippers and fish breath!!! They are fine as long as you keep a safe distance, but accidentally disturb one, and they can put you in hospital. (happened to an old guy last year on the coastal walkway, accidentally disturbed a sleeping seal and it gave him a nasty bite)

But this one just yawned, stretched and went back to sleep.

And Bonus pic from the carpark when we got back.

It was around 8pm. still 26c and some keen folks are still swimming down below.

Roxie · January 15, 2018, 06:36:10 AM

That is just beautiful.

WDH · January 15, 2018, 07:47:43 AM

Good thing that you did not mess with it and seal your fate.

samandothers · January 15, 2018, 08:08:01 AM

Quote from: WDH on January 15, 2018, 07:47:43 AM
Good thing that you did not mess with it and seal your fate.

Very good fur sure!

petefrom bearswamp · January 15, 2018, 10:11:46 AM

Nice experience!
Thanks for sharing

WV Sawmiller · January 16, 2018, 04:25:19 PM

Neat pictures. Thanks for sharing.

My thoughts on fur seals go back to around July/August 2010. My wife and I did a private tour of southern Africa. We left Botswana and were touring the Skeleton Coast of Namibia. Went up to Cape Cross where there was a big colony of seals. Left there for Swakomund (Where Angelina Jolie went to have her baby and was very popular with local populace) and had a problem with a mechanical seal in our Bakkee (S. Africa term for our small 4 door pick up) and we had to overnight waiting for parts and repairs. The Nissan dealer loaned us a new SUV as our guide told them he was thinking about buying one. That evening about sunset we drove down to the coast and watched the flamingos and a salt works then to the beach itself. Koos, our S. Africa guide/driver drove right off the hard packed dirt road on to the soft sand to test the traction and 4WD and we immediately go well and thoroughly stuck and spun down to the axles. It was cold and windy and there was no traffic likely till daylight so while Koos jacked up the vehicle and packed sand under the wheels I looked for anything to put under the wheels for traction. I was hoping for driftwood or brush or such but the only thing I could find was 4 dead and widely scattered seal carcasses. They were just sun dried skins full of bones. I dragged them back to the SUV and I put one under each tire as Koos lowered each corner to the ground. Becky drove while we pushed and the seal skins/carcasses gave us just enough traction to make it back on to the hard road and out of there.

Becky took a picture of me dragging the skins to the car and the next year we went back and she gave Koos a coffee table book of pictures from our adventures. Our timing had us at Koos house for Christmas dinner and we gave him the book there and it was a big hit but when they asked about the picture of me with the seal carcasses Koos had to explain about us getting stuck. Evidently he had not told his wife and kids and they all jumped on him in Africaans about always going places he should not and getting the client stuck. It was great fun and we all had a blast. Evidently Koos had been guilty of such in the past but we sure had a great trip with wonderful memories.