This morning followed the end of a minus tide series with a low tide of .72 feet, no wind and sunshine. I couldn’t pass this opportunity up so our dog Baxter stayed home and I headed to Old Home Beach for the morning.
Without wind, we have what I call T-shirt weather and for most of the morning I had the beach to myself with the exception of an artist who was focused on his work. As I walked the beach I realized I made the right decision by leaving Baxter home. The bay was flat like a lake and I was able to take my time and get some good pics. More importantly there was an elephant seal hauled out on the north end of the beach which is unusual for our area. Generally elephant seals don’t come this far north but there have been occasional sightings here and in southern Oregon. This guy looked like the same elephant seal I saw on the beach a few months ago. In talking with my neighbor, he concurred. Heads up, maybe we are getting some new residents.
So here is another plug for abiding by leash laws. Elephant seals are federally protected marine mammals. The advised viewing distance for seals is 150 feet. They look sluggish and harmless. Look being the operative word. In actuality, and when provoked, they can lunge those big/heavy bodies forward very quickly and they have HUGE teeth. I personally would not want to tangle with one. I most definitely do not want Baxter getting up close and personal with one. So if your walking your dog on the beach, think about their safety and the safety of the marine life by keeping them on a leash. You may not see animals on the sand until you are too close. You also don’t know if the hauled out animal is just resting on the beach, sick with disease or injury, or been recently harassed.
One of my favorite marine mammals are Harbor seals. Today I observed one snorting or sneezing while it was hauled out with two others. For your personal enjoyment I have included a video clip. Enjoy the clip and my pics! #iluvtowalk #trinidadcalifornia #humboldtcounty #humboldt
Elephant seal 
Jelly fish 
Perspectives From My Trail 