June/July 2024
Salish Sea, Pacific Northwest
I was finally able to retrieve my trailcam from the top of the piling on the dock — low tides in the daytime meant the floating dock was way too far down relative to the fixed piling for it to be reachable. But this means I’ve only been able to get trailcam video from the dock for the past week or so, and then only intermittently (technical difficulties). However the night of June 25 I did pick up footage of Friendly Seal heading across the dinghy dock toward a favorite overnight resting spot. It’s easier to get up onto the dock over on the right (from our view) where there’s a lower floating platform that’s like a step. She likes to lounge on the edge of the dock over on the left where she has a good view of the that end of the bay.
Harbor seals are somewhat rotund by nature, a useful configuration for a life in cold water and well-suited to fast agile swimming. But FS was looking a bit more rounded than usual in this video.
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Still photo of FS
The end of June/early July is the time Harbor seals give birth in the Salish Sea. Maybe FS is pregnant. Since I first saw her with a pup in mid July 2016, I’ve only actually seen her as a mother a few times, but of course I only see her occasionally, and she may not bring her pups into the bay often.
On Monday I was walking down the headwalk toward our boat and heard a sound down below. There she was, looking at me. We said Hi and she dived. I did not see any sign of a pup.
If you look carefully you can see the same markings as in the nighttime video above. It’s how I can definitely identify FS, beyond her friendly behavior.
Short video:
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If I catch future sightings of FS this summer, I’ll report any developments.
(I have written innumerable Buckets about Friendly Seal since I first met her in 2013. For anyone interested in her story, this diary tells about last year’s pup, and has a link to earlier diaries. The Daily Bucket - Friendly Seal's 2023 pup)
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Mostly sunny and dry the Pacific Northwest islands. Temp in high 60s. Light westerly breeze.
What’s up in nature in your neighborhood?
THE DAILY BUCKET IS A NATURE REFUGE. WE AMICABLY DISCUSS ANIMALS, WEATHER, CLIMATE, SOIL, PLANTS, WATERS AND NOTE LIFE’S PATTERNS.
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