Tuesday 11 December 2012

It's a strange world...

I can hear my own breathing as exhaust bubbles rise beside my ears, a blanket of cold water wraps itself around me, slightly numbing exposed flesh. Weightless, floating just off the kelp covered seabed, I am alone.

Alone but not for long... a familiar shape glides out of the gloom, a silvery,grey/black body and large dark eyes, the seal hangs motionless only feet away.  I feel calm, tranquil and privileged to be at home in the company of these gentle creatures. The world above the water seems a long way away.
As I mimic certain noises and use subtle hand movements the seal interacts.

This is not a pet but a wild grey seal. It may look a little like a labrador dog, but whilst an average male labrador weighs 34kg, the mammal beside me weighs approximately 160kg.

It's whiskers spread out and seem to actively vibrate, acquiring information on it's surroundings. Seals can detect a fish from over 100m away using their whiskers; they can even detect the shape of the fish at that
range, calculating information from the hydrodynamic trails left from the fish as they move through the water.

The seal grasps my hand in it's front flipper and holds it tightly. A gentle squeeze is returned by the seal and in that moment there is a genuine feeling of harmony with nature and the natural world.

This is not a feeling that can readily be reproduced with material possessions or man made thrills.
I realise that I am very fortunate to be able to do this.

Life races by and to have time to stop and pause, to collect your thoughts, to indulge in any form of true relaxation is a privilege.
Work, family commitments, shopping, exercise, bills, car issues, insurance, household work, appointments for one thing or another etc we all rush around so much that there is often little time to think, to reflect and to appreciate family, friends and the natural world around us.
Christmas approaches now at a quickening pace and I have mixed feelings of happiness at having some holiday time with family, tinged with a degree of guilt as I think about those not so fortunate, those who will be pleased just to make it through another day...

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