“Stop the car!” my passenger shouted from the back seat as we neared the turnoff to Martinique Beach. My friend Sybil had caught sight of her first seal and there it was, lying in the sea grass to the side of the road: an adult harp seal.
Most of us can quickly recognize baby harp seals. They’re the ones with the big dark eyes and completely white fur. Once they become adults however, they acquire a silver coat with a black head and markings, looking very little like the photogenic youngsters they once were.
Harp seals are mammals that spend most of their time eating fish in the ocean. This one seemed to be enjoying the brief interlude of sunshine in the sea grass.
I’m not sure how frequently harp seals visit our local shores. They are usually found in the waters off Greenland and Newfoundland. Apparently when they are seen here in Nova Scotia, they are solitary. This one certainly seemed to be alone.
Last April I spotted a lone harbor seal in the salt marsh. Though some people claim to see seals regularly on our shores or in our waters, this is only the third time I’ve seen one.
The sighting was the highlight of the afternoon for not just me and Sybil of Eastern Passage Passage, but also our accompanying friend and blogger Lynne of Five Good Things who is visiting from England. Today’s scenic trip along the Eastern Shore certainly managed to get our collective seal of approval.
Flandrum Hill 
Takin’ a break! How wonderful for you and how very lucky that you should have interested guests with you at the time. Whenever anyone comes to visit us, we never see any wildlife at all.
Cindy, if I had been driving on my own I likely would not have seen it. Luckily Sybil (who is always scanning the horizon for something sparkly) managed to catch sight of it for the benefit of all.
The other day, the three of us saw a Northern Harrier hawk being harassed by a crow at Fisherman’s Cove in Eastern Passage. We seem to be having good luck sighting wildlife. Unfortunately we are on a combined losing streak with Roll Up the Rim to Win at Tim Hortons 😉
That seal really was a thrill to see. Thanks for not crashing when I shouted “Stop the car!”.
No problem Sybil. Thanks again for sounding the alert.
Lovely to share the sighting of this gorgeous creature with you both. Thanks for doing the research, and for driving! Great day!
Lynne, it was an absolutely super outing despite the rain, cold and wind. Imagine how lovely it is here in the summer.
I had no idea harp seals looked like that. But clearly they do, so how did manatees get the “sea cow” appellation? Visiting bloggers! Dairy seals! The world is full of the most amazingly wonderful things!
Neither did I Gerry. My sister also mentioned the word ‘cow’ when she saw the photo.
I looked up the answer to your question. Manatees are called ‘sea cows’ because they taste like beef!
The world is indeed amazing as are the people and creatures that inhabit it.
Gerry thought “cow,” but my eyes saw “horse.” Paint horse. Looking at the markings only, naturally. Not a horsey shape. Anyway, very much a surprise to see, though you were probably more surprised to see it “in person,” as it were. Happy sighting!
Pamela, yes it does have paint horse markings. It is interesting how we each make different associations when we see something new.
Thanks for taking me along on your outing!
You’re welcome wolfsrosebud. I just hope Sybil didn’t talk your ears off in the back seat.
I see Sybil’s written a blog post about our Close Encounter of the Herd Kind at http://crittersnus.blogspot.com/2011/03/seal-of-approval.html
Cool sighting. It’s amazing what you some times see from the road.
Grace, it sure is. I saw a bald eagle yesterday while driving to work. I wish I had had more time to pull over and watch for a while longer.
You know, Amy-Lynn, what I am most excited about? That you and Sybil are actually the kind of friends who are driving about together. I didn’t know you two were close friends. The harp seal spotting is just icing on the cake!
Kathy, I met Sybil through comments on my blog almost two years ago when she still lived in Ontario. Unbeknownst to both of us, she ended up buying a home less than 10 minutes’ drive away from mine. Ah, the strange things that happen in the blogosphere. Now we’re both hoping that when Lynne moves here from England she’ll also settle nearby.
How nice for you to get these pictures! I love them. I confessed once on my blog my odd love for what I call “oreo cows” (actually Belted Gallways), and I can see a certain similarity in these seals. Wicked cool!
Karma, I had to look up ‘oreo cows.’ I had never heard of them before. I thought Jerseys and Holsteins were the only cows that had specific patterns on their coats. Thanks for introducing them to me.
Supposedly, the dark middle area on Harp seals is typically wishbone shaped. If they were oreo seals, they’d be ‘Golden Chocolate Creme Oreos’ (reverse oreos with vanilla wafers and chocolate filling) formerly known as ‘Uh-Oh Oreos’ according to Wikipedia 🙂
What an eventful drive you had with your friends ! That is lovely. A great organizer, aren’t you ? 😉 By the way, our local cows are black and white, not unlike this Harp Seal. Like your sister, I also thought of “cow” as I saw your first picture…
Isa, the trip was great – probably because it was not really all that organized. It was planned at the last minute with no intent other than to check out a bit of the eastern shore.
It’s amazing how these harp seals have triggered cow memories among so many 🙂
Fantastic sighting! And like so many of the world’s wonders, the surprise and unexpectedness of it must have enhanced its significance. A beautiful creature…
Julian, the unexpectedness of it all was what made it so special. Nature is full of surprises.
I, too, thought of cow markings when looking at your pictures of the harp seal. What a thrilling experience for all three of you to share!!
In our town during February and March there are seal watch cruises on the weekends, but somehow we’ve never managed to arrange our plans to take one. (It’s a bit expensive and probably cold on the boat!) The “Enviro-lab” takes people out into Long Island Sound to see popular seal haunts. Apparently the seals are from Maine, but they winter in Long Island Sound. I wonder if we’d get as close to one as you did…
Barbara, I think some people see seals quite frequently around here. We haven’t been so lucky so to us it was quite a big deal when we got to see one so close. We didn’t get out of the car. If we had approached it, I’m sure it would have been stressful for the animal.
He might have lost his “cuteness’ but is a handsome creature. When I go out looking for wildlife (especially if I am driving), I try and have another person or two with me. The more eyes, the better chances of seeing wildlife and other interesting things.
Nova Scotia is becoming a haven for bloggers. 🙂
Scott, many pairs of eyes see many things 🙂 No wonder birdwatchers often go out as a group.
Yes Nova Scotia does seem to hold an appeal for bloggers 🙂
Nice post and pictures!
I encountered a very similar one here today on Eastern Long Island, far to the south of Nova Scotia.
Perhaps a distant cousin!
John, do you have any images of the seal you saw? Harp seals are usually not found so far south but I wouldn’t dismiss anything these days considering how much the climate is changing.
Interestingly, Harp Seals have become fairly regular visitors over the last decade on Eastern Long Island- especially during the winter months and early spring –
There’s been a good deal of research (and public education) emerging, which is good, since many people assume Harp Seals are in distress when they come across them on the beach. The Riverhead Foundation For Marine Preservation and Research is one the LI based organizations involved with Marine mammals. Here’s a link to their page discussing our four species of seals down here:
http://www.riverheadfoundation.org/edu/content.asp?code=seal_faqs
I didn’t photograph the seal I encountered on 30 March. But I have photographed others. I’ll try to either post you a link here or post them on my blog.
The seal last week was the first adult Harp Seal I’ve seen- with spectacular markings almost resembling a dairy cow.
He was also hauled up on the bay side. All the other Harps I’ve seen have been juveniles on the ocean side.
John, thank you for adding the link to more information and letting us know about the frequent sightings on Long Island.
It’s so true that folks will think the seal is in distress if it’s sighted by itself out of its usual habitat. Education is key to making the best of situations where wild creatures and humans collide. Thanks again 🙂
Your seal looks just like the one outside my house.
Take a look. they could be one and the same:
http://bwbeach.com/blog/rehoboth-beach-seal-of-approval/
And I have a youtube video of him/her here:
I found your site while trying to identify what type of seal I now have as a new neighbor. So this is definitely a Harp Seal?
Mike, this does look like the one I saw and that was definitely a harp seal. It’s pretty far from home and probably solitary too. Hopefully no harm will come to it in such southern waters.
Perhaps the babies are cuter, but this adult is a beautiful animal to me. I’ve never seen live seals anywhere but a zoo. What a special treat.
Hi Yousei, yes, it is quite a beautiful animal.
Often, sea lions are mistaken for seals in zoos, though seals are sometimes found there too. A seal in the wild is definitely a special treat 🙂
Don’t you love it when you are presented with an unusual treat? I am always excited when on those rare occasions I am surprised by wild things unlooked for. My most recent surprise was an armadillo. Certainly not as exotic, nor as lovely as your seal, but exciting nonetheless for having never seen one “alive.” BTW, I had no idea that two toned seals existed, and they are beautiful.
Thank you for sharing! ~ Lynda
Lynda, we don’t have armadillos here in Nova Scotia but I have read that they are slowly moving into southern Ontario due to warmer winters experienced in recent years. They seem like exotic animals to me, so I would be very excited if I saw one.
I didn’t know about two toned seals either until I saw one. The variety present in wild creatures never ceases to amaze me.