Baby Seals

When Scott returned from a mountain biking trip this fall and said, "Would you like to see a pool full of baby seals playing underneath a waterfall?" I figured he was asking an absurd hypothetical question. Then when I realized he was talking about a real place, only a few hours from our house, and I found out he had already gone without me, I was shocked. And slightly furious about getting left behind. I posted a video that he took, which really kind of sums up the experience.

Finally, I got to go see this magical baby seal retreat for myself and therefore am subjecting you to 389849342 pictures of baby seals.

The baby seals are born in the late spring- November/December. Once old enough to be left on their own (around 5-6 months), Mama Seal shows them the way to Club Med Magical Waterfall Retreat For Baby Seals. This clear pool of water with a waterfall feature, mossy rocks to climb on, and no predators is the perfect place for Baby Seal to hang out while Mama goes out hunting. Every 5 days or so, Baby will flop down to the ocean to meet Mom and get filled up on milk. Then back up the river to the waterfall Baby goes, free from harm, to play and flop and wrestle with about 100 other seal cubs. When they're weaned off Mom's milk, they'll descend down to the ocean one last time and learn how to hunt.

The seals we saw were more adolescent in age, and were more interested in wrestling and sparring than jumping and flopping (like in Scott's video). Even still, they're mighty cute and very silly.

I see you.

Waking up from a nap in the forest

Does this rock make me look fat?

What about now?

Road to the ocean 

Fact of the day: Blubbery baby seals can climb vertical rock faces better than you and your fancy shoes.

Will this face get me treats?

Pretty much all they were doing...

Ha! This is my rock, sucker!

My rock.

Nope, not cute. Not cute at all.