More monk seals!

One morning this week I hit the beach for a little walking exercise. And I saw a few monk seals! I recognized one pregnant seal sleeping on the sand near the waves and was able to confirm her ID due to her “bleach” (literally, a number/code bleached on her coat of fur with an over-the-counter hair product). I was so excited to see her and take her picture that it wasn’t until I was walking away that I spotted a second monk seal resting on the reef about 20 yards from her. Wow, I’ve got to get my act together if I want to volunteer with the monk seal response team! I’d be laughed off the beach if I couldn’t see a seal right in front of me.
On a return trip later that morning, I found the two seals close to each other (rising tide and stronger waves probably pushed the other off the reef and onto the sand). It’s one thing to find seals and see them sleeping undisturbed, it’s another to see other folks also on the beach smile in appreciation of these beautiful creatures and give them the space they deserve. The monk seal response team works hard to protect the seals when this isn’t the case, but it’s always nice to be reminded that there are more good folks out there in this world than bad.