A Brief Yet Deep Encounter: Awakening on Ameland’s Beach
On a trip to Ameland, Netherlands, I opted for the simple pleasure of sleeping on the beach. Come morning, I woke up to a surprising sight—a three-week-old baby seal at my feet. For a moment, lost and motherless, she must have mistaken my sleeping form for her own kind.
Quickly realising the gravity of the situation, I called out to the local nature preservationists. She was taken to a sanctuary, a stepping stone to her eventual return to the wild. At just three weeks old, she wouldn’t have survived alone; seals need to be at least eight weeks to fend for themselves.
For me in that moment this brief encounter in Ameland, blurred the lines between human and nature, highlighting our shared vulnerability and interconnectedness. It was a small but powerful reminder of the unseen bonds that tie us to the natural world.
Location: Buren, Ameland