While sitting on the beach and photographing the wildlife, a young fur seal decided to move down the beach and then decided instead to head up the beach in my direction. While there still remained plenty of distance between us ( I am using a 300 telephoto lens) the young seal got a little nervous when he or she saw me and sent out some serious signals warning me to keep away. Notice the teeth and aggression on this little one's face. Notice too how big those two front flippers are- if he or she wants to move, it can be faster than anyone in a parka. I used all my ARF training and remained calm- sending non-aggressive signals right back. The young seal eventually walked away in the opposite direction. This is why when we were on the beach at Stromness- our expedition leaders made a pathway out of the kayaks- just to keep us at a safe distance from these little critters. Here is a happy Oakum that talked mom into giving him some lunch!
