Was nearly scared to death today by an extremely friendly Hawaiian monk seal. I was freediving in about 12 feet of water (looking for fishing leads of all things) off the coast of Hawaii Kai when a bristly, cute-faced monk seal popped its head out of the water two body lengths from where I was. At first elated, I quickly realized 1) that seal was coming in quick, I mean this thing was just not afraid at all 2) I was, of course, the only one in the water and 3) the only immediate exit out of the water was to scale a cliff.
Great.
I ducked under the water and noted that I could see a white tag attached to the seal’s back. Fantastic, this meant that (at some point in this seal’s life) it had been caught, had some device glued to its back and then was released by the mean humans.
Motive. It wasn’t so cute anymore. In fact I was feeling rather gangly and naked and the seal was looking mighty fast and fat. The transmitter had a thin wire sticking out, presumably sending data to researchers hundreds of miles away who were about to discover their rogue seal had just developed a taste for 100-pound, bikini-wearing humans.
Just when I thought death was imminent, the seal stopped, head tilted curiously. Its googly-eyes met my goggled eyes. We had a moment. Suddenly, a loud splash and a kicking of legs encased in bubbles signaled the entrance of another human into our watery world. With a fleeting glance, the seal blinked and hightailed it out to sea.
“Where did it go?” asked the jumper, a pubescent, florescently white boy now treading water next to me.
“It’s gone…that way,” I said, only then realizing that my body was still pressed up against the cavernous cliff wall, hands cramping from gripping the natural handholds etched into the rock. I pushed away from the cliff and belatedly swam after the seal.
Funny how things feel different if they’re coming at you or swimming away from you.
3:45 p.m. Nov. 4 – Surfed the below mentioned beautiful south swell. Unfortunately, I think someone broke into my car. Yes, I’m not sure. My car was parked in the Bowls parking lot and when I got out of the water my keys were where I hid them, doors were locked and nothing missing–except my credit card and cash. Didn’t realize this until the next day though, by which time some human had racked up $2,000 of charges. I’m not responsible for any of them, but I’m definitely going to have to find a better place to hide my keys.
Note to self: buy lockbox for car or be more sneaky when hiding keys.
8 a.m. Nov. 3 – Out of season SSW swell is still giving the south shore some fun 2 to 3 foot waves. Winds are NE at about 8 knots, which means I am sincerely wishing I didn’t have class until 11:45. Bowls looks glassy, and inexplicably uncrowded.
the72percent 