ELSIE MAE OF ANACORTES WASHINGTON

 

Elsie Mae of Anacortes is an elephant seal who visits Anacortes, Washington. Yesterday, I visited her and found her taking a dip in the water. Although she was napping when I arrived, I knew something amazing was about to happen. Every time I visit her, she does something amazing!

On this day, Elsie Mae decided to go to the beach and cool off with a very short dip. The move to the water was very slow and looked to be a draining process. She would move a short distance and rest before moving forward again. You could see the weariness in her eyes as she moved toward the water.

Her old coat was peeling back, and a beautiful new coat was appearing. Elsie Mae would pop up and get a burst of energy to continue her journey, then lay back down for a short rest before moving again. Going from her resting place to the water was a challenging process for Elsie Mae.

After moving for 45 minutes, she made it to the edge of the cooling waters. The waves would gently splash her and deposit seaweed on her face. I am sure she was feeling some comfort from the warm sun. She moved into the water for a few minutes, then turned around and came back to shore.

You could still see in her eyes that she was fatigued. I am sure she was not looking forward to the trip back up to the beach.

Before starting the return trip, Elsie Mae closed her eyes and soaked in the cold water. She was obviously enjoying the cooling sensation and the rest.

Elsie Mae then popped up and gave out a call, letting the volunteers know she was on her way back to the beach. Elsie Mae's face showed excitement as she approached the volunteers.

Elsie Mae dug her flippers in and started back up the beach with all her might. You could see the determination on her face. She was going to get back to her resting place. The return trip was much quicker than the trip to the water, and she made it back up in 10 minutes.

There were many stops to rest on the way back to her favorite resting spot. However, the stops were brief, and she seemed to be happy to be going back to her resting place.

As Elsie Mae moved up the beach, she kept calling out to the volunteers. She would look to see if they were responding. When they did, and told her that the way was clear, she would speed up her pace.

She decided to take one final rest, gazing at the finish line. She reached her favorite resting spot and began to cover herself with sand. With a single motion, the sand flew in a beautiful arc.

She would scratch an itch in various spots, one here and another there.

Finally, it was time to rest quietly once again, knowing she was safe.

Elsie Mae represents the wild beauty of the Pacific Northwest and symbolizes the recovery of the northern elephant seal population. I am grateful to have documented her journey to the water.

Anacortes
7.12.2023

© Chris LeBoutillier