On watch

I was staring at the sea. Because that’s what one does in a place like this. A cluster of gulls was having a feeding frenzy on the surface. Pelicans were dive bombing. Yum, sashimi brunch.

Off in my peripheral vision, something dark broke the surface for a second. It was about the size of a pelican, but it was gone. What was it? Had a ray done a bit of flying? That would be cool to see.

Then there it was again, about twenty yards farther along. Black, shiny, rounded but a little pointed. A dorsal fin?

I hurried to get my binoculars. The trouble with binoculars, though, it that you need to know the location of the thing you want to see. I could only guess where the creature would surface next. I scanned the water. Oops, just missed it. Missed it again. Is that a dark shape cruising just below the surface?

Then, ah-ha! A sea lion. Sticking his head up, getting air, looking around, startling a gull, down again. Too bad I didn’t get a photo.