Seal Sitters would have been very surprised yesterday if we didn’t have some seal pup activity on such a beautiful and sunny day, especially after the rough waters whipped up by Monday’s windy conditions. And, much to our delight, we were not disappointed - 3 pups entertained volunteers and the public. First up, Boomer was spotted early in the morning, resting on his favorite log just off shore. While we had no formal presence to “protect” him, it was hard to resist hanging out with this charming and alert pup who finally slid back into Eliiott Bay mid-afternoon.

Doc returned like clockwork to his favorite hideout and volunteers stayed throughout the day to talk with the occasional beachcombers strolling this stretch of beach, many with dogs. At sunset, Doc flopped back across the sand and headed out for some dinner entree choices of shrimp, squid or small bait fish. We expect to see him again today.

We received a report about 3pm of a seal pup on the beach near Colman Pool at Lincoln Park. The reporting party said people were too close, letting their leashed dogs bark at the pup and wanting to touch him. When our responder arrived, she coaxed the crowd away and set up a quick tape perimeter. The pup was only feet from the sidewalk, but we tried to give him as much of a buffer zone as possible. A family with several young girls were transfixed and given naming honors for being so respectful. One of the youngsters named the pup Shitake (shown above), meaning forest mushroom. Tucked in the logs and rocks, Shitake managed to get a bit of rest in spite of the soft murmur of voices from the sidewalk above. The quietly observant public was enthralled by this little pup’s presence. Shitake returned to the Sound to forage just as the sun was setting and volunteers returned home to forage for some dinner of their own.

Tags: Shitake, Boomer, Doc