Page 12 of Seal of Approval

“How big is your colony here?”

Jasmine glanced at me before moving her attention back to the water. “I’d estimate around 400. When I first started nearly five years ago, there were more.”

Sea lion population decline was typical around the world. They were listed as endangered. Hopefully, some of the work I was doing would help change that. My PhD had been years in the making. A bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, teaching assistant, research, and experience would all lead to my doctorate and helping sea lions.

“The data I collect will help with more accurate figures.”

Jasmine frowned. “I’m sure our figures are close. We take counts every month.”

I kept my mouth shut. I hadn’t meant to insinuate their methods were inferior. In research circles, data was king. We didn’t just rely on visual counts. I concentrated on the peace around us and the sea breeze against my skin rather than the silence in the boat.

“I won’t only be collecting data on the size of the population. It will cover the demographics as well.” I hoped that would help her understand my previous comment better.

Jasmine nodded. I didn’t know if that meant she was interested or not. I continued, “I’ll investigate their territory, interactions, everything. I can help determine why their numbers are declining. It will help develop policies for the future.”

“How do you propose to collect this data?” Jasmine asked as she slowed the boat.

“I’ll tag all the sea lions and place satellite trackers on some.”

The boat rounded a point into a secluded area. Sea lions lay on the beach and rocks, sunning themselves. My heart quickened. I couldn’t take in the scene in front of me fast enough. My eyes darted from group to group.

These beautiful creatures had once been hunted for their fur; their numbers were decimated. Then came gillnet fishing, causing sea lions to drown after being caught in the mesh. The South Australian government, which Jasmine and I worked for, banned gillnet fishing close to colonies and had cameras installed on all fishing boats so that deaths were accurately recorded. Deaths were reduced by 98%. Their actions were exactly why I’d approached them about funding my research.

I studied the sea lions in front of me. The males stood out, being twice the size of the females and having much darker fur. Juveniles were scattered across the sand, oblivious to the world. The sea lions barely paid us any attention, only glancing at us before returning to their slumber. Interesting.

It would take at least a month to tag them all and collect data on the individuals, and I’d need Jasmine’s help to do it. How were we going to make this work? We had differing priorities. The research I was completing was not just about my dissertation, it was for the benefit of sea lions across the world.

CHAPTER NINE

Jasmine

I watched Ethan’s reaction as his gaze raced across the scene in front of us. His head jerked as he looked from one spot to the next. A small smile stretched into a large one. My stomach lifted as he transformed in front of me. His hands had a slight shake, almost as if his excitement was trying to escape.

His sigh seemed to reset him. He lost the shakes, and his eyes stopped flitting from group to group. He turned to me. “You bring tourists here?”

“Yes, most days during tourist season.”

“And what do the tourists do? How close do they get?” His eyes were piercing.

Again with the accusations? I stood tall. “You claim to like your research. Didn’t you do any about us?”

He looked away. Disengaging again. Well, not me. If he was going to accuse me of something, he better be ready to hear my response. My days of being reticent were over.

“When we arrive, we give the tourists some information about the sea lions. We reiterate that the sea lions are wild animals. It is up to them if they approach or not. We don’t feed or entice them.” I gave Ethan a hard stare. “The guests then hop into the water. We remind them that the sea lions are fun and curious. If they are approached by one, they should interact.” I watched as a young sea lion concentrated on us from the shore, its wide eyes staring. “The sea lions play and swim for as long as they want to. The guide watches everything closely.” I glanced toward the shore. The sea lion walked to the water’s edge, still watching us. “The swimmers learn about sea lions, get close and personal, and leave with a greater appreciation for them.”

Ethan nodded.

“Is that enough information for you?”

“Yes.” His reply held no sarcasm, unlike mine.

Who did he think he was, questioning my integrity, questioning whether I was looking after the sea lions’ best interests? I had pulled more than one swimmer out of the water when I didn’t like their attitude or actions.

“We will need to come out every day to do the tagging,” he said.

I clenched my fists. I almost wanted to strangle him.

“I, we, have thousands of hectares to look after. There are multiple campgrounds within the park that need to be checked and maintained. Coming into summer, we need to ensure the fire trails are clear. We answer queries via email and phone daily. There are tours we need to conduct.” I let all that sink in. “I will bring you when I can.”

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