Traveling can be full of surprises. The Sea Bird departed Seattle yesterday bound for the scenic waterways of the Pacific Northwest. After cruising among the San Juan Islands searching for whales and birdlife, the ship tucked into tiny Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. This quaint little island town is known for its small but interesting Whale Museum, and for the eclectic shops along the waterfront.
Our surprise encounter today involved a fat and sassy harbor seal which frequents the docks in Friday Harbor. Here, a fish cleaning station for one of the local fishing charter boats provides fresh scraps for this opportunistic marine mammal. Harbor seals are plentiful among the islands, but usually they fish for themselves in the bountiful waters that surround the island.
This particular animal, however, knows a good thing when it sees it. As we watched, and photographed from close range, we could see the harbor seal swim gracefully underwater. Repeatedly, it would poke its head above water, revealing its big, dreamy eyes that gazed our way.
But we all knew it was really after that next tidbit.
