Swimming with Seals

Jun 20, 2017

Seals are shy. Everyone knows that. Shy, and dangerous. But perhaps that’s because people often were known to kill them for their oil and meat. There’s old wisdom here that to heal a seal bite, you stuff in a chunk of seal meat.

But this is also the land of the Selkie, a seal who can slip its skin and turn into a person.

The Barders were warned that the Atlantic is icy cold, and not good for swimming, but the sun was so bright, the invitation of the sea was impossible to resist. They dove in. And the twenty or so black bumps in the water that at first seemed to be rocks, turned out to be a rookery of seals. Curious seals, who saw their own in the girls who dove among the waves.

They came to explore, splashed, dove, and the girls splashed and dove with them. The seals were so comfortable, they came within inches of the girls. And when it was time to go, they swam together towards the shore, saying goodbye.

It was unbelievable.

18 Comments

  1. Gordon
    Gordon on June 20, 2017 at 3:00 pm

    Amazing! Thank you for all these wonderful updates!!!

  2. Anne L Hunt
    Anne L Hunt on June 20, 2017 at 3:14 pm

    How thrilling to swim with seals! Let alone brave to jump in the icy Atlantic!

  3. Jean
    Jean on June 20, 2017 at 3:27 pm

    I’m so happy to see you all! Wonderful to hear of the adventures. Thank you!

  4. Anne
    Anne on June 20, 2017 at 3:52 pm

    We are starved for more stories and photographs.
    Please keep sending!

  5. Anika Denise
    Anika Denise on June 20, 2017 at 4:00 pm

    MAGICAL! Thank you for sharing these moments with us!

  6. Sharon
    Sharon on June 20, 2017 at 4:34 pm

    These are the stuff of amazing memories and living life to the fullest. Thanks so much!!!!

  7. Amy
    Amy on June 20, 2017 at 4:48 pm

    Incredible! So much love to you all!!!

  8. Jess & Bill Frasure
    Jess & Bill Frasure on June 20, 2017 at 5:14 pm

    This is amazing! Thank you for sharing this with us!

  9. Shannon
    Shannon on June 20, 2017 at 6:01 pm

    So great to finally hear something! Can’t wait to hear more…

  10. Shari
    Shari on June 20, 2017 at 6:07 pm

    Go, brave bards, go! Thank you for giving the seals a story to share at the seal pub, too!

  11. Jaime Roberts-Jones
    Jaime Roberts-Jones on June 20, 2017 at 7:22 pm

    Magical! I may need to watch ‘The Secret of Roan Inish’ 🍀

    • Kristen
      Kristen on June 21, 2017 at 7:58 pm

      I was just thinking the same thing!!

  12. Tom R. R.
    Tom R. R. on June 20, 2017 at 10:02 pm

    Wonderful!

  13. Bonnie Schlegel
    Bonnie Schlegel on June 21, 2017 at 2:16 am

    Yeah,Boarders the world is yours to Love! Amazing!!!! it’s hard to tell whose out there in this picture, but that farther silhouette in the water is one I’ve seen many times!

    • Bonnie Schlegel
      Bonnie Schlegel on June 21, 2017 at 2:18 am

      Autocorrcting inaccurately, yeah Barders!

  14. Isaak
    Isaak on June 21, 2017 at 7:33 am

    I guess seals are popularly considered shy only because they were waiting for the right group of kind people to come along. Safe travels!

  15. Bryn
    Bryn on June 21, 2017 at 12:59 pm

    They found each other!!!

  16. Kristen
    Kristen on June 21, 2017 at 8:02 pm

    I LOVE this story! Such a magical, unexpected gift. Thank you for sharing your adventures!