Surfing with seals :D

[Jc]

Well only 1 seal

but it has to me my best seesion EVER

did a sucessfull turtle roll

met a seal really close (quite hairy actually)

AND caught that green wave i had being waiting for, and went across the face

And if that isn't enough I have no more exams this year!

THIS IS WHAT STOKE FEELS LIKE

[libby]

ha ha indeed....Norfolk is a great place to surf with seals, although so is up here,last time i was out at Bamburgh i surfed with one

[Jc]

They are bloody cute, and they are all warm in their own perment wetsuits

[isaluteyou]

They are bloody cute, and they are all warm in their own perment wetsuits

Ya i tend to steer clear of them as seals can be pretty teratorial. Had a few scares when a seal pops out of knowhere and starts snorting at you

[garbarrage]

cute on tv, or in a zoo, through a telephoto lense, and even when you see a couple of them playin about as 2 little dots on the very distant horizon.
but judging by the size of the teeth on em i'd rather keep my distance. say if irritated they could do some damage!
had a couple of them get a bit close once, decided to get out..
more than likely they were just being curious but thought better not to risk it...
was disappointing cos they waves were really good that day... but they had more of a right to be there than me.

[the.ronin]

I had a somewhat similar experience with dolphins ... not one but a whole school of them!

It was an otherwise flat, unassuming weekday afternoon at Zuma beach in Malibu, California. Only a handful of surfers scattered about on this beach break – probably not more than 1 for every 3 towers. I saw the telltale circular motion of dolphin fins out about 50 yards. Several minutes later I see them coming back. Pretty cool, I thought. Then maybe 15 minutes later, I hear this splash and I see a dolphin head pop out of the water not more than 3 yards from me!! The dude is looking right at me!! I’m thinking I should be getting all nature-loving Thurow about now but really, I am pissed scared.

What I try to explain to non-watermen is that dolphins in the ocean – real dolphins – are not the manicured Flipper dolphins you see at Sea World. These are huge, decrepit lookin mofos some of which I’ve even seen with notches on their fins presumably from some epic shark battle or who knows what. Graceful as they are, the dark grey color and large mass can be a thing to behold.

So then I hear more splashing ... this time from BEHIND me ... I slowly turn around and find ANOTHER dolphin staring at me a little further away from behind!! I slowly start looking around and they are swimming around me!! I was legitimately, certifiably freaking out about now. I slowly did the reverse paddle-while-sitting thing trying to get out of there. That’s when a wave came in and believe you me, I never paddled so hard in my life. When I was on that wave, I could see them in front of me riding the same wave. I took that wave all the way in and I ran like nobody’s business back to shore.

I remember there was a family there walking along the beach and they just looked at me like I was some wierdo running away from a ghost.

I just sat there watching the dolphins play in the surf. That experience I will never forget – it really puts things in perspective as to what we are as human beings in a place where there are a lot of other living things ... most of which could probably kick our asses mano a mano no worries.

[PapaW]

Its when they pop up behind you and snort, makes you jump! then they jump and usually result sin falling off the board. :p

Some of the local Seals in N.Walse would often be nibbling my swim fins, I guess the yellow attracted them.

[flyingvee]

I had a somewhat similar experience with dolphins ... not one but a whole school of them!

It was an otherwise flat, unassuming weekday afternoon at Zuma beach in Malibu, California. Only a handful of surfers scattered about on this beach break – probably not more than 1 for every 3 towers. I saw the telltale circular motion of dolphin fins out about 50 yards. Several minutes later I see them coming back. Pretty cool, I thought. Then maybe 15 minutes later, I hear this splash and I see a dolphin head pop out of the water not more than 3 yards from me!! The dude is looking right at me!! I’m thinking I should be getting all nature-loving Thurow about now but really, I am pissed scared.

What I try to explain to non-watermen is that dolphins in the ocean – real dolphins – are not the manicured Flipper dolphins you see at Sea World. These are huge, decrepit lookin mofos some of which I’ve even seen with notches on their fins presumably from some epic shark battle or who knows what. Graceful as they are, the dark grey color and large mass can be a thing to behold.

So then I hear more splashing ... this time from BEHIND me ... I slowly turn around and find ANOTHER dolphin staring at me a little further away from behind!! I slowly start looking around and they are swimming around me!! I was legitimately, certifiably freaking out about now. I slowly did the reverse paddle-while-sitting thing trying to get out of there. That’s when a wave came in and believe you me, I never paddled so hard in my life. When I was on that wave, I could see them in front of me riding the same wave. I took that wave all the way in and I ran like nobody’s business back to shore.

I remember there was a family there walking along the beach and they just looked at me like I was some wierdo running away from a ghost.

I just sat there watching the dolphins play in the surf. That experience I will never forget – it really puts things in perspective as to what we are as human beings in a place where there are a lot of other living things ... most of which could probably kick our asses mano a mano no worries.

Great story - lol

[Big Man]

Seals are usually pretty playful from what I've seen, as PapaW says the do seem to have a penchant for nibbling on boogers fins though.

Ronin thats a great story, I've never seen a wild dolphin up close like that, although I'd love to, but are they really that worrying?

[Sar]

I've never seen a wild dolphin up close like that, although I'd love to, but are they really that worrying?

you've obviously never seen that simpsons episode....they're waiting to take over the world man!



'tis a very good story

[the.ronin]

Ronin thats a great story, I've never seen a wild dolphin up close like that, although I'd love to, but are they really that worrying?

Thanks ... I can never forget it and I make a point never to imbelish it. They probably should not be that worrying. But in the darker water of So Cal and seeing their dark grey huge fuselage of a body emerge from the water like a mini Russian nuclear attack sub ... well it’s not something you see every day.

Also I guess just being so up close on *their* turf can make you feel like an absolute interloper. Moreso – as you waddle around maneuvering in a rubber suit and a foam plank, while they gracefully cut through the water like it’s just an extension of their being. Ok I’m getting a bit too zen now but you get the point.

[surferdude_scarborough]

seals are usually pretty cool. apparently the soouth gower ones a creepy though.

[pkbum]

lots of nice story!

[Johno]

Some of the local Seals in N.Walse would often be nibbling my swim fins, I guess the yellow attracted them.[/quote]

Papa were in north walse do you get seals? i would love to surf wi them

[justloafing]

I had a somewhat similar experience with dolphins ... not one but a whole school of them!

It was an otherwise flat, unassuming weekday afternoon at Zuma beach in Malibu, California. Only a handful of surfers scattered about on this beach break – probably not more than 1 for every 3 towers. I saw the telltale circular motion of dolphin fins out about 50 yards. Several minutes later I see them coming back. Pretty cool, I thought. Then maybe 15 minutes later, I hear this splash and I see a dolphin head pop out of the water not more than 3 yards from me!! The dude is looking right at me!! I’m thinking I should be getting all nature-loving Thurow about now but really, I am pissed scared.

What I try to explain to non-watermen is that dolphins in the ocean – real dolphins – are not the manicured Flipper dolphins you see at Sea World. These are huge, decrepit lookin mofos some of which I’ve even seen with notches on their fins presumably from some epic shark battle or who knows what. Graceful as they are, the dark grey color and large mass can be a thing to behold.

So then I hear more splashing ... this time from BEHIND me ... I slowly turn around and find ANOTHER dolphin staring at me a little further away from behind!! I slowly start looking around and they are swimming around me!! I was legitimately, certifiably freaking out about now. I slowly did the reverse paddle-while-sitting thing trying to get out of there. That’s when a wave came in and believe you me, I never paddled so hard in my life. When I was on that wave, I could see them in front of me riding the same wave. I took that wave all the way in and I ran like nobody’s business back to shore.

I remember there was a family there walking along the beach and they just looked at me like I was some wierdo running away from a ghost.

I just sat there watching the dolphins play in the surf. That experience I will never forget – it really puts things in perspective as to what we are as human beings in a place where there are a lot of other living things ... most of which could probably kick our asses mano a mano no worries.

Cool story. Yes they are big. 2 Octobers ago I had 2 come within 5 ft. of me. They were just cruising through. When they surfaced they did look right at me. I can only imagine how you felt. Like they were making a circle around you and were going to use you as their little play toy. I was glad to see the ones that went by me were just cruising.

[garbarrage]

really good story ronin..
dolphins rock! don't think i'd be afraid as much as intimidated. a big group like that would freak me out a bit tho. they are the only comparably intelligent species on the planet (with the exception of whales possibly) and they made contact with us. that's something special.
cool vid of them on youtube playing with bubbles... know they aren't wild but then they're not exactly domestic either....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMCf7SNUb-Q

[the.ronin]

This reminds of the hilarious series of books from Douglas Adams – the “four part trilogy” to be precise haha. One of them is entitled, “So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish” – the message left by the dolphins when they departed Planet Earth just before it was demolished to make way for a hyperspatial express route. So classic haha.

[Big Man]

Hmm its a trilogy in FIVE parts and one of the most famous books ever, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

[the.ronin]

Ah yes, I stand corrected Big Man! I forgot about the last one that came out later.

42

[LeeM]

Great story Ronin. We have a bunch of pods around the island, some are more friendly than others, mostly because they get the bycatch from the shrimp boats and dolphin tour boats. I have tried to jump on top my board some mornings when they surface a few yards away. They seem to have a "gotcha!" look when they do that.

I have heard that dolphins are one of the few species that have group sex for fun. Makes you wonder why they are looking at you that way.