exposed part of an estuary, whilst the rocks they love have usually deep water
round them, and, like the sandbanks, are covered at high tide. They like
especially to choose a rock at some little distance from the main coast or island
and of such a height and shape that they can view all approaches. Moreover,
the presence of seaweed and long tangle is disagreeable to them, as it prevents
their landing with comfort. As a rule they like an off-shore wind for landing,
as this not only makes the sea still but gives them the wind of an enemy
approaching from the only really dangerous direction.
The immatures and females are generally the first to haul up ; they go farthest
from the water’s edge, and they will sometimes get far up on the rocks and go
fast asleep, leaving it to the old males who come last to keep watch. These
immatures and females are not nearly so suspicious as the old males, and I have
often seen them swim straight to the landing place and ‘ hirple ’ right up the
rocks to some cosy corner where, as the sun dries them, they go off comfortably
to sleep, without a further thought. Not so the cunning old patriarch of the
herd, but let us watch his movements as he comes to his resting place.
Away along the coast you see a tiny black dot which glistens as the sun
catches it. Almost as soon as you have viewed the object it disappears, only
to come into view again several hundred yards nearer, when you see that it is a
Seal. He comes fast by successive dives, for he has done his fishing and is
anxious to lay up, but he goes past and round the rock where his comrades
rest until you think he has gone for good. This is only a manoeuvre to inspect
all sides, and the next moment his glistening head starts out of the water close
to the rock itself. Now look how different is his attitude from that of the careless
youngsters. He swims rapidly along the surface, backwards and forwards several
times, with head raised out of the water, the picture of tense alertness and suspicion.
Sometimes he is on the point of landing with the aid of an incoming roller,
when he changes his mind and makes several more rapid excursions along the
rock side, so as to make perfectly sure of his position. Then, summoning
courage, he takes advantage of the ocean swell to carry him as far up the rock
as possible, and getting a grip with the nails of the fore-flippers, and quickly
holding with the back ones, he heaves his cumbrous body up on to a flat space.
Immediately this is effected he whips round seawards, ready to dive off again at
a moment’s notice if anything has happened.
There he remains for several minutes, glancing quickly to left and right or
over his shoulder— a suspicious Triton in black marble. This is often insufficient