The weaners take to the water

Here on Macca the elephant seal weaners have spent the last month or so of getting up to a whole lot of no good around station, and causing an incredible racket doing it. A few weeks ago their hunger must have got the better of them, as one day they decided it was time to venture into the water. 

Since then, every morning and evening the shallows are full of tumbling slippery bodies, hauling themselves in and out of the kelp and trying out all their new swimming moves. After several months of living on land (with bodies clearly not designed to), is must be an incredible experience to finally enter the water.

For a couple more weeks the weaners will stay on the island while they build their swimming strength up; once they feel ready they'll depart and spend the next year at sea before returning to the island next summer to malt.

This short window gives us ample time to spend a couple of evenings 'wading with weaners' - an absolute highlight of our year here.

Vicky and Angus suit up pre-wade. Angus' facial expression demonstrates the significant unpleasantness of getting oneself into a shared drysuit (something to do with a combination of years of accumulated sweat and the discomfort of squeezing your head through the way-too small hole at the top).

Ali (our station leader) keeps watch. We have to have 3 lookouts monitoring the water for an hour beforehand to ensure there are no orcas about.

The water is bubbling with pups

Tim makes a few new friends

Not a bad way to spend an evening! The pups seem to really enjoy it too.

A particularly friendly young chap

Rich takes a selfie

Half the station in the water. The pups still outnumber us 20 to 1.

Danielle is in love. Straight after this, one of the summer rangers (who is also a vet) informed us that the pups carry quite high rates of Tb. I'm just waiting for her to develop night sweats...

Norbert and Luke (one of the new summer crew) enjoy the attention

Annie (the aforementioned ranger and vet) keeps her mouth quite a bit further away

And right on cue (the following evening) a family of orcas arrive. They are now here almost every day, with family groups of 5-7 teaching their young ones the art of the hunt. It's incredible to watch and very hard to know who to gun for.

It's all very circle of life and we just happen to have front-row seat. Angus' superzoom lens caught this rather distressing image - yes, that's a weaner screaming as the large male orca grabs it.

A very happy orca (photo again courtesy of Angus)