Yesterday morning, three seals enjoyed the safety of an abandoned dock at Jack Block Park. One was a very chubby pup (thus far not identified, but definitely not ET). Of the other two seals, one was an adult and the second (partially obscured so body length was not determined) was either an adult or sub-adult. The seals stretched and yawned in the early morning sunlight. As seen in the video here, the seal with the solid golden coat has some orange colorations in the fur. This coloration is caused by the attachment of iron oxides to the external hair shafts, with causes ranging from pollutants, genetics to foraging strategies. San Francisco has the highest incidence of red seals anywhere, directly related to iron oxide.

There are rumors that Jack Block Park beaches will be opened to public use. We hope that, instead, these protected beaches will remain closed and the area declared a marine preserve. This dock and surrounding beaches are frequented by resting seals. It is the one sanctuary where off leash dogs and uniformed people cannot negatively impact them. Please remember, if you see seals on the dock observe them quietly.