Ecologist Team Encourages Baby Seal To Jump Into The Water
Jesse Devoe is an ecologist who went with his coworkers all the way to Antarctica for research. They were riding their snowmobiles when they heard sounds of a baby seal. When the seal was already in their sight, they reached to him to see what he was being so anxious about.
Usually, seals move around in large groups. But this one was all by himself, and he was just a pup. No doubt he would be a lot noisier than usual. The seal was lying on the side of an opening in the ice, where he needed to jump into the water. But he was too afraid to do that. He would go a bit farther, gain some courage, and come back to the water to jump in. But once he reached, he lost his will to jump.
Jesse and his team stopped by, and tried to cheer up for him, give him some courage. They were sure that the seal actually knew how to swim. His mother probably made sure the pup learns to swim before leaving him by himself. The pup would slowly start drenching his head into water. But still, did not go in.
The seal seemed to know the team was there for him. Whenever he felt scared, he reached their side and looked at them with his huge eyes. Jesse tells that simply being next to the seal pup during that though time for him was so magical. They hope their presence made some kind of a difference. It just was so nice to know you are part of the process of a wild animal learning to adapt to him new natural home.
Finally, the seal jumped in. When the team left the sight, they saw from afar that the seal was coming back on the ice again. They no longer were able to keep him company. But they at least knew that the first step was already done. The rest would be a lot more easier.
