West Seattle wildlife: ‘Sealy Dan’ the pup goes kayaking

(Photos by Robin Lindsey)
When the Seal Sitters‘ hotline – 206-905-SEAL – rings, “there’s a seal on the beach” is the most common report. Not this time: “There’s a seal on a kayak!” instead. Seal Sitters’ Robin Lindsey shares the photos and tells the story:

Yesterday afternoon, Seal Sitters hotline operator Tess received a call that a seal pup had hopped aboard a passing kayak and the boater wasn’t sure how to handle the situation. Jeff Kelley and his son, who was visiting from Brooklyn, were taking a spin in their kayaks around Elliott Bay when a pup started trailing them. Suddenly, the pup jumped onto the back of the kayak and was not particularly interested in returning to the water – after well over 30 minutes, they contacted Seal Sitters for advice.

A tired seal pup will sometimes rest on a log in the water – or even hop on a passing logboom being towed by a tugboat to catch a snooze. Or, a kayak or paddleboard. Jeff and his son did exactly the right thing: they let the pup rest, remained in the area and then gently encouraged the pup to abandon ship when they needed to move along on their journey.

Robin has published a longer version of the story on the Seal Sitters’ “blubberblog” site – see it here.

P.S. Another report tells the story of Ma Kai, a pup who’s been showing up nightly for a while – and posing quite the challenge.

22 Replies to "West Seattle wildlife: 'Sealy Dan' the pup goes kayaking"

  • Noelle November 3, 2012 (5:38 pm)

    That is very cute! I hope the little pup had as much fun as the people who saw it!

  • StephenHJ November 3, 2012 (5:39 pm)

    That’s totally cool, and I’m jealous! What an experience!

  • EJ November 3, 2012 (5:44 pm)

    Wow. That’s a great story :-)

  • Ezgi November 3, 2012 (5:49 pm)

    that is very cute. :)

  • jwws November 3, 2012 (5:59 pm)

    yeah Jeff and son way to go!

  • Chris W November 3, 2012 (6:10 pm)

    So cool.

  • goodgraces November 3, 2012 (6:13 pm)

    Wow, amazing. A lovely image and I’m sure a remarkable experience. A VERY Pacific Northwest occurrence!

  • CitizenSane November 3, 2012 (6:16 pm)

    This is a wonderful story! In the wake of the account of the micro-penis punk who dragged and punched an octopus out of the sound, this story really makes me feel better about my species.

  • Alki Resident November 3, 2012 (6:17 pm)

    That’s the sweetest thing I’ve seen in a long time. Once in a million photo op,especially with out of towners. Great pics.

  • Karen November 3, 2012 (6:18 pm)

    That is a great. What a story to take back to Brooklyn !

  • CEA November 3, 2012 (7:01 pm)

    What a terrific story! And photos to boot. Thanks for taking care of the pup!

  • shed22 November 3, 2012 (7:31 pm)

    All a giggles at this one!! What a fun adventure in Elliott Bay!

  • ~~HockeyWitch~~ November 3, 2012 (7:32 pm)

    A Seattle welcoming from our wildlife. How cool is that? What a great story to be able to go home and tell your friends. Poor little pup, just needed a breather. Glad they were cool about it and didn’t mess with the little fellow. Those visitors are welcomed back anytime.

  • Greenpeace November 3, 2012 (7:51 pm)

    Awesome

  • Chris November 3, 2012 (8:24 pm)

    what an awesome story!! My wife and I saw what we finally figured out were at least 2, probably 3 seal pups playing in the water off Constellation Park this morning. They looked to be following their momma as she cruised south near the shore.

  • lina November 3, 2012 (8:41 pm)

    how cool!

  • WS concerned parent November 3, 2012 (8:55 pm)

    What a story they have to tell of their visit of Seattle!

  • thegodshavegonecrazy November 4, 2012 (12:40 am)

    Wow, what a cute little creature. I would have allowed him to snooze for as long as he wanted. :)

  • SudsyMaggie November 4, 2012 (5:20 am)

    How awesome! Great photos!

  • Trina November 4, 2012 (11:19 am)

    Great story! Just too bad that Jeff was so close but couldn’t see the pup well.

  • Robin November 5, 2012 (8:12 am)

    Sealy Dan spent the day yesterday resting on shore at Jack Block Park. Volunteers taped off the area and onlookers got a great view of the sleeping pup. As is always our concern, there were (illegally) off leash dogs in the park, including the beach. Sealy Dan returned to Elliott Bay just as darkness fell. We have not seen him yet today. Make sure to give us a call @ 206-905-7325 (SEAL) if you spot the pup! He’s a bit thinner than we’d like so we want to make sure he gets the rest he needs.

  • Craig Mische November 8, 2012 (11:34 am)

    A fantastic story. Loved the photos.

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