Posing for the photo

On a recent trip to Blackpool Zoo I arrived at the Seals feeding time and this Sealion and the Sea Gull in the previous picture had a routine going that I got the feeling they had been doing for some time.

This seal seated himself on a large slab of rock by the side of the pool and every time he was thrown a fish he barked twice and nodded his head twice. His pal the seagull perched on a post approx 1 metre from the seal and immediately after the seal barked he cried twice and also nodded his head twice. He then flew directly at the seals head who ducked just enough for the seagull to just miss him, flew a circuit around the pool and returned to his post. They both continued this routine all through the feeding, and on returning over two hours later for the next show they were both doing exactly the same again.

I can understand the seals part in it but can't really see what the seagull was getting out of it, the feeling I got was of two very practiced and professional performers and the seagull taking the part of the pretty girl in the conjuror's act who prances and points to the conjuror after the completion of a difficult piece of magic. I left with an image in my mind of them at the end of the day sitting down and sharing a fish sandwich and a pint and discussing what sort of day it had been and the quality of the audience that day !! (I really must get out more )