After another about half an hour it finally felt rested, awoke, and started shuffling down the beach. I'm glad it wasn't alarmed by us, and I'm glad we all stayed well away from it so that it could go on living it's life naturally. I did find it disconcerting that it looked at me so directly; not wanting to block it's path I stepped aside but it turned and started following me. Some of the people thought it might see itself in my lens but I don't think so. When it reached the water's edge it almost seemed to not want to go in, I got the definite feeling that it found it chilly after baking in the sun for so long. After I took this pic I went into the water and tried to get it to follow me but then it wouldn't. A fellow that had been hanging out with us ran up and -rather brusqely- informed me that it wouldn't go in the water because I was blocking it's way. I said, "No, it's following me. Look." and I moved back up the beach. Sure enough it turned to follow.
"Oh," he said, and we all stood there for a moment, perplexed. Then HE went in the water and kind of called to it. It turned to see what the noise was, and maybe it was him splashing in the water I don't know, but it moved deeper.
We cheered from the shoreline.
So here it is, swimming off happily enough. At the time, and whenever I look at this shot, I think inside my head it's saying, "Mama! I'm hungry mama. MAMA!" It was getting later in the afternoon by then. I never saw a seal on the beach again, and neither did the woman. We're both sure it hooked up with it's mum and all ended well.
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