Recently during a spell of calm, sunny weather I went kayaking along the calm waters of False Bay towards Boulder’s Beach and came across a seal hunting an octopus in close proximity to swimmers on the beach. A lot of activity ensued with the seal thrashing the octopus on the surface of the water. I wasn’t sure whether the intention was to stun the octopus or use force to dismember the legs. The swimmers were completely unfazed, and there i was imagining the octopus accidentally landing on some onlookers’ head. Any sensible person would have moved away, right?!
Nature on the Edge 
Ummm, yep, I’d definitely have kept my distance!
People can be so foolish.
Right!!
Oh dear, Liz, I’d probably fallen out of the kayak bending over to capture the scene.:-) Do you take any precautions with your gear when you are in the kayak? You have got some marvelous shots here.
🙂 i use a Fuji point and shoot and it’s stowed in a waterproof box! It’s got to be dead calm too, although we have stable sea-going kayaks with rudder and bilge pump. BUT the landings are usually tricky, have to shoot through a gap in the rocks and it’s all about timing as there’s a backwash. Generally i capsize!
What I love about the blog-sphere is that I get to see photos like these of something that in a million years I could not have imagined! In my part of the world there is absolutely ZERO chance I would ever see something like a seal messing with an octopus! I can count the number of times I’ve seen a seal – it’s very few. And I have never seen an octopus other than at an aquarium. The idea that to the folks in these photos “it’s just another day at the beach” floors me!!! Good for you for capturing such great shots. And thank you so much for sharing!
Great comment, thanks Mary. Yes, we’re lucky here – the Bay – that is False Bay is likened to the “Serengeti Plains” for it’s thriving food chain – lots of the big guys out there – seven species of shark, including the great whites, orcas, whales in season, about 70,000 seals on a nearby island, and of course the penguins….. yes we’re damned lucky! The seas are in trouble and fish populations are dwindling elsewhere.
I don’t know how close I would have got, since I am the world champion in speed drowning, but the photos are stunning. They give insight into predatory habits
Guess you have a healthy respect for keeping a safe depth when swimming?
Oh yes… Very safe…
That swimmer so calmly looking (seemingly) at your camera while the seal thrashes about — quite the contrast!