November 17, 2022
They’re back. And apparently they have a lot to say. The sea lions have returned to our part of Puget Sound. Their barking is loud and incessant. As I walk along the water it’s rather charming to measure my steps in time with their vocalizations carried across the bay. I understand it’s less 
charming for those who have waterfront homes and are enduring sleepless nights. Last night I was commenting to Dennis that I was again grateful for our decision to buy acres of forest rather than a waterfront lot when we realized that even a mile from the water we could hear the barking.
When we hear the natural world speaking, it’s not always comfortable or convenient. I don’t speak sea lion. But I’ve been wondering if, within all that barking, they are trying to tell us something. The natural rhythms in their aquatic ecosystem are changing. The sea lions have arrived, as they do every year, for the salmon spawning. But they are a bit early and the salmon are late. It’s a serious issue for these hungry creatures.
Changing climate conditions are impacting the complex system of natural signals that trigger movement and migration in our Puget Sound waters and all ocean waters. We often leave it to scientists to observe these changes. We leave it to scientists to listen to the natural world. Perhaps it’s time for us to listen.
Bark. Bark.
Beannacht,
Judith
So much this! ❤️
We should listen to the sea lions, especially if or since they’re commenting on the changes in their world for which we are responsible. I hope their food arrives in time. I guess I should have known that sea lions came to the sound. My father’s family lives in towns and cities along that water. My father grew up swimming in the sound.
Yes. We are responsible. We should listen. We are all watching for that salmon run. Yet again amazing synchronicities in our lives. The next thing we will discover is that we went to grade school together!