I saw a big water splash far out in the sea with birds flying above it. So I switched quickly onto the zoom.
That bird got the fright of his life when the seal surfaced and touched him.
We were very fortunate to see a battle for food between a seal and a flock of seagulls. Amazingly, every time that the seal comes up to swallow a fish the birds would try to get at the fish in his mouth. So here you will see this battle in sequence, and it was fascinating.
I tried to make a video on the zoom but it was a flop as it was too far out and I didn't have a tripod. So all that I can show you are the pictures of the fight.
Come and enjoy the view!
Here you can see that the seal had a fish in his mouth.
And you can see the birds arriving to see what they could get.
Birds hovering hopefully above and waiting for the seal to surface.
But no such luck, as here you can see he surfaced right next to a bird.
Spitefully, or playfully, the seal would splash the birds on occasion when he surfaced unannounced.
Finally, the seal had enough and at the left you can see him pulling out.
I wonder why the seal didn't attack one of the birds as prey, but I don't think that they eat birds as it would be a lot of feathers to spit out. One of their forefathers must have tried and he warned the seal nation about the danger of swallowing choking feathers.
So yes, the seals nowadays ignore the birds when they go out hunting. But they also love the fun to surface right below the birds. As then there is pandemonium in the bird camp. So this day the seal had enough to eat and he also had a lot of fun with the birds. Of course the birds will not agree, as they got nothing out of the occasion.
Such is birdlife in the ocean, as you win some and you lose some.
And That's All Friends!
Photos by Zac Smith-All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon Powershot SX70HS Bridge camera.
