The Grey Seal has a longer face and nostrils similar to a dog's, while the Common Seal has a shorter face and nostrils similar to a cat's. Also, Grey Seal pups are born with fluffy coats they must shed after a few weeks before they can enter the water, and their parents pretty much let them learn the ropes through instinct alone. Common Seal pups, on the other hand, are born with waterproof coats, so they get in the water the same day they are born, and their moms show them the ropes. I can't decide if I'd rather be a cute dog with a coat who has to fend for myself or a quick-swimming cat who has someone to guide me. I'd rather be a dog, but I'd also rather swim sooner - tough decision! Which would you choose to be?
I felt a mixture of excitement and sadness when I saw the seals, especially the pups.
I was excited because it was so interesting to learn about them while seeing them from fairly close-up. Plus the pups are especially cute! One pup in particular, Waterlily, was feeling especially playful.
As exciting and lovely as it was to see the lifesaving work the staff at the center is doing, it stil made me a little sad. A lot of the reasons the staff have to rescue seals is related to human influence in one form or another. For example, sometimes pups are orphaned by their parents because people interacted with the pups and chose not to respect signs like the ones I saw. Also, many of the sick seals the rescuers encounter have eaten plastic which can tear up or clog up the animals' insides, sometimes even causing them to die.
