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WHEN staying during a
recent summer on the shores of Loch Feochan a somewhat unusual opportunity
occurred of watching at close quarters a very fine specimen of the great
or grey seal, Halichaerus gryphus. Looking down from the front door, at
the first bend of the loch seawards, there is a rocky reef or islet just
half a mile distant, entirely submerged at high tide. One morning,
happening to glance in that direction at ebb-tide, a light-coloured speck
was noticed which drew attention as being unusual. This through a
stalking-glass was seen at once to be a large seal. The rock on which he
was lying is only some 300 yards from a projecting point of the shore, and
some small bushes on it promised cover.
No time was lost in
proceeding thither, when a careful stalk brought the observers to the
outmost bushes, the glasses brought to bear, and a most interesting
spectacle revealed. The great beast lay with his huge bulk extended on the
sea-wrack, his head toward the shore, his watchful gaze ever on the
look-out for possible disturbers as he slowly turned his doglike head. The
powerful lenses seemed to bring him almost within touching distance, and
disclosed scars and gashes on his head and neck, some seemingly but
half-healed. There was no room for doubt that we saw before us a
magnificent old bull of the great or grey seal, fresh from battle with his
kind, as is their way at mating time.
For an hour or more this
fascinating spectacle was watched. The bright light of a fine summer day
shimmered on his coat, which seemed to change from silvery grey to darker
grizzle as his sluggish movements now and again changed the fall of the
light or the lie of his coat. Gradually the rising tide encroached until
it encircled the little height on which he lay, then at length he
stretched his head and neck, and with a graceful gliding motion slipped
downward without splash or apparent exertion into the depths-and was seen
no more.
I t would have been just as
easy to have brought the Mannlicher rifle instead of the stalking-glasses;
- it was a fairly easy 'chance' for the expert; - but what would have been
the gain ? A useless carcase and the consciousness of the uncalled-for
destruction of a rare and interesting creature, in place of a pleasant
memory that will always remain.
The grey seal is regarded
as a shy and retiring animal, by no means frequently to be found in what
may be termed inland waters, although common enough in the outer islands
and the western coast of Ireland.
What the weight of that
great creature may have been one can only guess. Bell' writes of one
reported to him from County Galway as having weighed 6 cwt., and of
another from Connemara which was actually weighed at Dublin and found to
be 31 cwt. Our guess was just about the latter weight. |
