NATURE SOCIAL DISTANCING

On April 7, 2020, I ventured into my backyard to await the Pink Moonrise, mindful of the importance of social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I always embark on these outings alone, as many locations in my backyard require some hiking to access. I seldom encounter anyone else in the areas I frequent for photography, which is advantageous when photographing wildlife. On this particular day, I had been sitting for hours, anticipating what Mother Nature would reveal. I heard considerable splashing, and upon investigation, I discovered a seal that had just crawled onto the rocks.

She remained there for some time, resting and keeping an eye on her Pup. The Pup was just offshore, inspecting the area. The cow would take short naps intermittently. This continued for about an hour.

The pup headed inland, seeking its mother onshore and some much-needed rest.

The pup was struggling to climb onto the ledge. Numerous attempts proved unsuccessful, and the pup repeatedly fell back into the water.

The pup exhibited great determination, persistently pushing large amounts of water with its hind flippers. Throughout the entire ordeal, the pup's mother encouraged it by waving her front flipper.

The puppy successfully climbed up and was very happy after all the effort it took to reach the ledge.

The reality set in for the pup as social distancing remained in effect. The expression on the pup's face perfectly captures how we all feel about the current times with COVID-19.

Please Stay Healthy, Stay Safe!

© Chris LeBoutillier