Close Encounters With Wild Animals

When swimming in the San Francisco Bay, I had quite the entanglement with a harbor seal.

October 31, 2025

I swam in San Francisco’s Aquatic Park yesterday at my beloved Dolphin Club. The water was lovely, flat, and clear. I felt strong and my stroke felt smooth. I focused on enjoying every stroke and on my way back in my stroke lengthened and glided and I said an out loud “thank you” into the water on each out breath.

I cruised home between the piers thinking that I felt like I could swim forever. But also that I was lucky for the swim and I better get to work.

Then I felt the brush of a seal on my leg. I swam three ultra fast and sloppy scared strokes before I reminded myself that you cannot out-swim a seal. I steadied and I tried to swim slow and normal again, but then the seal got completely tangled up in my legs! I was accidentally kicking him (I’ve assigned him male pronouns - I don’t know why) and couldn’t untangle him. I gasped for air and looked behind me to see him duck under, and then he popped up alongside me and we just looked at each other. He was young. Really young. Probably not more than three or 3 1/2 feet long. A sweet baby face.

People at the shore were pointing at us amazed. I tried to focus on the shore and swim steady the last 30 or so yards back to the beach. I kept my head above the water. I tried to steady my breathing. And the seal stayed with me.

I got to the beach and leapt out and now there were several people at the water’s edge pointing and amazed.

“He’s still right here!” they pointed out.

I turned and he surfaced again – in 18 inches of water in front of me —just looking at me curious and maybe a little bit disappointed that I’ve left the water .

My heart was racing. I can still feel what his solid body felt like on my feet and legs.

To have a wild animal touch you is a strange feeling. So scary and also so, so tender. Knowing that he could have bitten or drowned me and nobody could stop him or help me until I got myself to shore is an odd feeling. And yet he didn’t harm me at all. He was curious and playful. Why do we hold this notion that a wild animal encounter, one initiated by the animal, is inherently dangerous?

• Did my prayer of gratitude bring him in?

• Does saltwater carry carry my intention far and wide like it does sound?

• Can I learn something about the power of gratitude here?

• Or something about the sensitivity in the generosity of animals?

• Perhaps there’s a lot to learn about the innocence of babies?

If I could do it over again– what would I do? I can only think that what I missed was the chance to pause – to express gratitude again and out loud. Maybe I could have admitted my fears into the water and then offered a spirit of play with the gratitude, or at least curiosity?

I’m not saying I should have reached out to touch him nor do I have any reason to think I had any expertise is what the animal wanted from me - if anything. But fear is a choice we make and I let the fear be the over-riding emotion when I could have chosen wonder and calm.

Curiosity. Play. Mischief. The stuff of life. I hope I don’t squander my next opportunity.

UPDATE: This photo was taken by another Dolphin Club member just a few hours after my encounter. This seal is young, exhausted and probably unwell and he looks a lot like my friend. Sad.