Reva has been especially happy about spotting seals, but she wanted to see some sunning on the beach. We did our research and learned that the seals come onto the beach in the span of time two hours before and after low tide. We also read about a place where there is a sandbar that is a favorite of seals north of Head of the Meadow beach. So, off we went at about 10:30 a.m. and drove to Head of the Meadow beach. Then it was a half-hour hike up the beach to the sandbar spot. What encouraged us was that through binoculars, we could see in the distance that there were what we hoped were seals on the sandbar. But what we encountered there was just too amazing. Forget about being thrilled to see 7 seals swimming in a row.
When we got nearer to the sandbar, a volunteer “seal sitter” advised us to steer clear of the sand bar because the seals are protected and should not be harassed. The volunteer said there were probably 400-500 seals there! And they were crammed together with literally no space between them. If a big fellow in the middle of the pack wanted to move a bit, he just wiggled over top of whoever was in his path.
We sat and watched for over an hour. On the upwind side of the sandbar you could smell and hear the seals. They grunted, barked, squealed and generally made a constant rumbling sound. There was essentially constant motion with front flippers swatting each other and hind flippers shoved up in the air. Some were on their bellies, some on their sides and some on their backs. Several were in an arched position with their head and hind flipper up in the air. Their faces were adorable with big eyes. Some seals on each end on the pack flopped their way across the sand into the water. They are such awkward creatures on land. They flop up and down on their bellies for about 10 feet and then just flatten down to rest. I think the effort to move on the sand is just too much for them and they have to rest every 10 feet. And yet, they are so graceful in the water. It seems that they are very curious because many times when their heads pop up out of the water they look right at you. Many of the seals on the sandbar also looked often in our direction as if they were curious about us.
The volunteer said he had never seen so many seals congregated on one sandbar, so we felt really fortunate to have seen this. The weather forecast for today was initially for rain much of the day, but by the time we were sitting and watching these marvelous creatures, the sun was out and it warmed up nicely. We commented that we’d take this kind of rainy day anytime.
And so Reva got her wish to see seals on the beach.
After seal watching, we drove into P-town for lunch. We parked at McMillan’s Wharf and walked down Commercial Street. We picked Tin Pan Alley for lunch since Christine wanted a water view. A hostess who was out front of the restaurant pulled us over, showed us the menu, and assured us there was a great water view. She was right!
After lunch we walked up and down Commercial Street taking in the sights and visiting a few shops. It’s always fun to stroll along Commercial because you never know what you’ll see.
After our visit to P-town we headed back towards the house. I wanted to make a quick side trip to see Cape Cod Lighthouse. I love lighthouses! This one is interesting because in 1996 the whole structure was moved back from the edge of the dunes to save it from falling into the sea. It was moved about 180 feet back from the dunes, a process that took 19 days and lots of great technology and construction effort. But the lighthouse is saved and will remain standing for a long time.
We then got back to the house, enjoyed sitting out on the deck for a bit and then fixing dinner. We had another nice evening at home.
Awesome sight! This reminds me of your Florida visit and swimming with the manatees. I really need you to plan my vacations!