TACOMA, Wash. — A Tacoma rower’s boat got the ‘seal’ of approval last week.
On Feb. 6, Todd Silver took his single-rower Pocock racing shell out for a spin on the Thea Foss Waterway.
While paddling around, he came across a friendly face: a small seal.
He caught the encounter on camera.
“Good morning, little buddy,” Silver is heard greeting the marine mammal.
“Go ahead, climb up,” he said.
In a matter of seconds, the seal uses its flippers to pull itself onto the front of the boat. Silver used his oars to help balance the pair and keep the boat from tipping over.
This isn’t the first time he believes the two have crossed paths.
Silver said a seal stopped by to say hello on Feb. 3 as well and he thinks it’s the same one.
Harbor seals are the most common marine mammal along the Pacific Coast. The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) says if you ever see a pup alone, don’t worry- they are usually fine.
“Their mothers are out hunting food to meet the demands of nursing and weaning,” WDFW says.
If you think a marine mammal is sick, injured, or abandoned, call the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network and make a report.