the wonders of nature...

secretly i aspire to be a wildlife photographer, but know that a big part of that is putting yourself in the right place. although i live in a great area where the wildlife opportunities abound - whales, bears, marine mammals, birds, ungulates - i either don't have the patience or the luck to spot them often (or only do when there is no camera at hand). thus this little gem made my day.

i spotted (well, almost tripped over) this little harbour seal pup while walking on the beach near roberts creek. he was very complacent and posed quite readily for photos. i was worried he might be injured, but he was in a protected spot away from (most) prying eyes, so i let him be. was later assured that mom seals occasionally leave their pups on shore while they fish. as he was gone later that night, i will assume that was the case.
living on the west coast, i must admit i've become quite complacent about seals, as we see them all the time. but getting this up close and personal was definitely a cool moment.