Not cute for long

Aren' they adorable?  Lying there, sunning themselves on a South Georgian beach under an overcast sky.

They've never seen a human before and they know no fear.  Affectionate and curious, they are more than prepared to travel the short distance to me to figure out what I am.  In fact, one rests its head on my lap as I sit there and decides to fall asleep.

I swear, I'm not in breach of the Antarctic treaty which requires me to stay 30 metres away.  It came to me.  Now what am I supposed to do? It's started to snore.

As I look around for guidance, the marine biologist in our group is laughing at me.  That's not much help.  Staring down at this gorgeous pup, it's hard to imagine it will grow exponentially in size.  After all, it is an Elephant Seal.

Silverback

The intelligence behind these eyes requires no explanation.  Watching.  Contemplating.  Speculating.

I don’t know how long he has been resident here, but between cold winter sun and institutionalisation, his posture reflects a defeated man.  Pride is what keeps this alpha male alert.

Defying his depressing circumstances, he feeds his intellectual hunger through observation.  He eyes our interactions.  He silently critiques our behaviour.  He is an unsuspected voyeur.

But in the end, it doesn’t change much.  He is still thousands of kilometres away from a home he may no longer remember.  How we would cope if the situation was reversed?