Beauty Beneath the Waters -- Lorraine Smith

 Look Around.    

I live in Dundee which is in the banks of the beautiful River Tay, Famous  for its silvery waters and the Rail Bridge disaster. Those waters hide many other treasures. 

This grey seal pup was brought into the clinic where my daughter works. Marine divers identify injured or sick marine life and bring them for treatment. This boy is smiling, he was sweet ,but seals, especially harbour seals can be aggressive. This one was injured fighting for food. 

Grey seals can live between thirty to forty years and return to the sand bars where they were born to breed.This means that after rehab they must be brought back to the Tay for release.

The sandbars on  the Tay estuary are full of basking seals in the summer but we often walk by taking note of the shining waters and smile at the seals not really seeing just glimpsing.

How often do we stop to think about the rich mix of life under the sparkling waves. octopus, fish,including the famous Tay Salmon, crabs, and seals, both Harbour and Grey Seals. We have even had dolphins in recent years. 

The struggle for life means that sometimes the weaker get hurt. When the are brought for treatment we can see their beauty close up. This handsome  pup is now back in the Tay. 

I intend to open my eyes and look around to see the beauty on the River but also beneath the waters, unseen, hidden but treasure  just the same. I will savour the short glimpses of dolphins and jumping fish and the ripples of diving seals chasing fish.

I hope you will do the same.