Beach Boys (but mostly girls and pups)

 As we drive into the parking lot, parking carefully as to not hit anything, most everyone in the car becomes lightly distressed for no sane reason. I would describe the smell of the Cape Cross Seal Colony as that of a beach fart. Everyone else seemed disgusted by this but honestly I’ve smelled FAR worse. Getting out of the car it became quickly evident why we had to park carefully; there was a sleeping mother and yearling seal pup sleeping in the parking lot. 

For seals, July-October is the off season. Most seals will be swimming and hunting as pups are born in November and mating season is after that. We had lower expectations but were assured by the kind woman at our lodging that there were always seals to be seen. Personally this photographer was expecting maybe 1,000 seals spread out across the vast area. BOY WAS I WRONG. 

Young James estimated around 15,000 seals but honestly there were so many on shore and coming in with the surf it was hard to tell. And I have to tell you that all seals are cute. It is really hard to dislike something that looked like a toasted marshmallow with sleepy big black eyes. And seal pups? Even after a year they are so freaking cute. I could have spent hours watching these pudgy sea potatoes but mother was getting nauseous, Jim was DONE with the smell, and Karen was taking shallow small breaths through her mouth and I was slightly afraid she was gonna pass out from low oxygenation. 

So here. Enjoy sweet sweet squishy beans, without the smell of a beach fart. 

And I know that’s by the end of this you are thinking “Dang Bryce! The living pillows look like a cute pet to have!” And they would be. However they are still wild animals and they eat meat. This last picture is to remind you of that. 

Beware the sandy beach muffins, for they come with teeth.