Somewhere in Tacoma, a harbor seal mom looked at a busy public dock and thought, "Yeah, this is the spot." For the second year in a row, she's parked herself there to raise her pup, and Parks Tacoma responded by closing off part of the Old Town Dock to give them space. No dramatic rescue, no big spectacle, just a practical move to let nature do its thing. That's the kind of low-key decency we can actually learn from.
It's easy to read this as a cute animal story and move on. But zoom out, and it's the same tension we see across Washington all the time: humans and wildlife trying to share the same corners of the map. A recent study found coyote density is 9 times higher in Seattle than in Washington’s wild lands, which means we're already deep in the business of negotiating space with our wild neighbors. The seal mom isn't asking for much, just a quiet slab of wood for a few weeks. The least we can do is give her that. It's the same logic behind trust land transfers approved by the WA Natural Resources board, where public agencies and tribes are carving out room for habitat and open space, not just for the sake of it, but because shared space requires intentional choices.
Here's our honest take: this isn't about being soft or sentimental. It's about being smart with what we have. We're all juggling busy lives, tight budgets, and a million small decisions. But a little bit of foresight, like closing a dock for a month, saves a lot of hassle later. That's the same reason we plan study sprints or set a budget before a night out. Future me will thank me, right? Well, future seal pup thanks Tacoma. And honestly, it's a solid reminder that being a good neighbor isn't just about the people you know. It's about the ones who show up in your usual spot, uninvited, and just need a break.
What would we tell a friend who asked about this? Simple: respect the closed signs, give the dock some space, and maybe snap a photo from a distance if you're curious. This isn't a flex, it's a small act of patience. And if you're wondering whether this kind of thing actually matters, consider that this is at least the second year she's come back. That's not an accident, that's a pattern. So the real question isn't whether we should care, it's whether we can keep making room when it's inconvenient. The dock will reopen, the pup will grow up, and we'll move on to the next thing. But the way we handle these moments says a lot about the community we're building. Let's keep it the kind of place where a seal mom can raise her kid without a fuss. That's a solid goal, and honestly, it's the bare minimum.
