Jimmy's Personal Friend: A Seal

Today I spotted Jimmy's seal diving under one of the boats parked off of Gate 2 at the SF Yacht Marina.

That's right, Jimmy genuninely befriended this seal, and vice versa. That speaks volumes about Jimmy's character because seals don't just befriend humans like that. And this wasn't a friendship simply based on food, as Jimmy never fed the seal.

I think this seal perceived a kindred spirit in the way Jimmy felt so at peace in or on the water.

This seal would specifically seek Jimmy out on a daily basis. It was one of the things that brightened Jimmy's day at work.

Of course, I have no way of knowing for sure whether the seal I spotted today was the same one Jimmy told me about. I'd just like to hold onto the belief that it was.

But let's get technical here for a minute. Sure, there are dozens of seals camped out on a cluster of docks next to the tourist trap Pier 39. Those pinnipeds have absolutely no reason whatsoever to leave that area because of the steady supply of food and the community of fellow beasts.

Furthermore, for a seal to get from the Pier 39 docks to the harbor involves swimming against the current. I don't know how hard the swim is first hand, but Jimmy always talked about the currents in the area.

So that's why when I saw the seal near a portion of the harbor docks that Jimmy had been working on rebuilding, I assumed that this was the same pinniped who I'd heard all about.