Seals at the Mouth of the Klamath River

Yesterday I had an amazing encounter with a group of seals at the mouth of the Klamath River on the Northern California Coast. It was completely unexpected. I like to explore dirt roads, which allow me to come into contact with the most beautiful and unexplored places. On the big highways, the landscape is very monotonous, and I cannot stop if I see something interesting.

So, when I saw a detour with a small warning sign stating that the road was unsuitable for large vehicles, I thought it was very attractive and decided to follow it without knowing where it was going. Once I started driving, I saw that it was too narrow and had great chasms that went straight down to the sea. I relaxed a bit when I learned it was a one-way road because there was no room to pass by another vehicle coming in the opposite direction.

The road was isolated, I never met anyone, and I could stop the car to photograph the wildflowers that grew on its slopes. The road bordered the ocean until the mouth of the Klamath River, and to my left, I could see the black rock cliffs where I could hear the waves colliding with force.

Suddenly I heard “voices” it was very strange because I was in the middle of nowhere. I kept driving down until I reached the mouth of the river. I was right on the beach. I took my cameras hoping to find shorebirds, but to my surprise, dozens of seals sunbathing on an islet of white sand. I spent almost two hours observing, photographing, and filming them.

It was very exciting to see them frolic, growl, “talk” (those were the voices I had heard before), push, dive, and even go fishing in the strong waves.

Seals are similar to their cousins ​​, the sea lions, but smaller. Their pectoral fins are much shorter, so they cannot walk upright but must glide over their rounded bodies. The truth is that they are not very skilled on land, and their bodies are designed for swimming.

Water is their element, and it is there that they live most of the year. The short vacations they take on the beach are for mating and lounging in the sun. Very soon, they will be migrating again.

I enjoyed this visit so much. I wasn’t expecting to find these beautiful creatures in such a beautiful remote place.