A thing rarely seen in the wild: porpoising harbor seals

[Kings Gambit]

I was "making passage" from Santa Cruz Island to King Harbor (Redondo Beach) last week; motoring near 6.5 kt at least two n.mi. off the southeastern point of Anacapa Island, and into a 10-kt SE wind, when I saw something I'd never seen before, even after of hundreds of hours transiting the waters of southern California. Two harbor seals (not sea lions--but true seals) porpoising, evidently toward some destination, ahead to cross my track. Their height above the surface and the distance made over it with each leap from the water--at least a couple of body lengths--was impressive. When we met they went right under the boat; paid me no regard at all, and kept porpoising in their travel direction. I know they’ve been trained to do this in aquaria to entertain tourists; but, this was different. Out in the “middle of the ocean” over deep water away from the island and heading even further away. They were really truckin'! Whale sightings get all of the glory; but, this was truly marvelous.

A harbor seal as we typically see 'em!

 

[jon hansen]

omen !

 

[Skipper]

Wait till you see harbor-sealing porpoises.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Then it is time to stop drinking!

 

[Kings Gambit]

It's not surprising that these fellows can make migrations--transits b/c they have to "swim" get to islands in the first place, etc. I've just never seen 'em doing it w/ such grace and ease, or even at all, in that manner. I just have to wonder how long (far) those blubbery sausage tubes with webbed "feet" and paws can keep that up!

 

[Richard19068]

Never seen that either. I wonder if they were being chased by sharks?

 

[Justin_NSA]

They say sharks are being sighted more often now. Great idea to put them on the endangered list.

 

[Gunni]

We're seeing seals up the Chesapeake Bay, as well as pods of porpoises. Both are voracious eaters and with the Bay clean-up and restrictions on how much of the menhaden can get turned into fish-oil pills they have lots more to munch on. Same with the Rockfish (Stripers).

 

[Kings Gambit]

Never seen that either. I wonder if they were being chased by sharks?

Naw; I think they were going somewhere. A shark, especially a white shark, probably would not chase 'em. White sharks cruise deeper in low light near the bottom around island areas where seals usually hang out. They then shoot up rapidly and bite the seal on the rump, injuring it severely so it cannot swim away, let it bleed out, and then gobble 'em. Seals would more likely be attacked out there by a killer whale me thinks, which probably could chase, and catch, one.

 

[Kings Gambit]

They say sharks are being sighted more often now. Great idea to put them on the endangered list.

It takes some looking into to discover what species are actually on the federal endangered species list, which gives them legal protection. The term "endangered" is now thrown around so much by conservationists and aquarium/museum docents that its "understood" meaning is no longer certain. I believe the scalloped hammerhead was recently listed on the federal ESL; maybe the whale shark as well. As I said, one would have to closely examine the government's ESL--not the Red List of the conservation societies.

 

[Justin_NSA]

I thought what I saw was great whites were on the list. WTF??

 

[Kings Gambit]

I thought what I saw was great whites were on the list. WTF??

It may be on a list. However, there was a petition to list the northeastern Pacific "population" on the California Endangered Species list, but the petition did not succeed according to the last report I saw.

White Shark CESA Review Concludes - Listing Not Warranted
On June 4, 2014, consistent with the recommendation of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) determined that based on the best available science, listing the Northeastern Pacific population of white shark as a threatened or endangered species under CESA [California Endangered Species Act] is not warranted. The Commission's decision took effect on August 22, 2014, when the findings were published in the California Regulatory Notice Register.

https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/White-Shark

 

[Justin_NSA]

I think it was this CBS broadcast that caught my ear
"The reason why I think we're seeing more sharks is because we've protected them. They've been protected in U.S. waters since 2005," Lowe explained.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/shark-sightings-population-on-the-rise-southern-california/

 

[Kings Gambit]

I think it was this CBS broadcast that caught my ear
"The reason why I think we're seeing more sharks is because we've protected them. They've been protected in U.S. waters since 2005," Lowe explained.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/shark-sightings-population-on-the-rise-southern-california/

They can be protected by State fishing regulations and other laws w/o being listed on the federal or California Endangered Species List. If the populations continue to decline in the face of regulations, then listing might occur. However, the ESL and underlying concept is so perverted these days that a "listing" (or lack of one) might not convey to the public the actual, or complete truth of the situation. A truly endangered species is one facing severe risk of EXTINCTION. That is, total extinction from the face of the planet, as was the case (i.e., the risk) for several species of the great whales. Now we have "locally endangered." That is, the eminent loss or risk of loss of populations locally, such as for the white abalone which apparently is abundant off Baja, just no longer here in Southern California. There are white sharks on both coasts of North America and in Hawaiian waters; and elsewhere. Local depletion of the population off California does not automatically equate to severe risk of extinction over its entire rage. But now we also have "distinct population segments"--that is to say, regional populations with some genetic distinctiveness to protect, and even potentially to treat as "endangered species." For example, the northeastern Pacific population of white shark which was the subject of that petition. It requires a lot of genetic/marine research to sort out all of that, and it's complex.

 

[jssailem]

In the 60's (my last surfing days in Cornado) we used to see seals in the surf right along with our boards. Some times they were real hogs of a good curl.