Bridget Brochu ’26 was hunting for sea glass and scenic beach photos when she spotted this juvenile gray seal resting on the beach in Narragansett, R.I. in February 2024.

“He was not injured,” says Brochu, “just enjoying some winter sunbathing.” She adds, “I took about 600 pictures on my Canon Rebel T7 using a Canon 300mm zoom lens, keeping a far distance from the seal pup. It was like he was posing for the photo shoot.”

Brochu is president of URI’s Photography Club and social media and outreach chair for the Outing Club. Brochu, who is from Cape Cod, Mass., is double majoring in biology and wildlife and conservation biology, and is spending this summer teaching children about New England salt marsh ecology at Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in East Falmouth, Mass.

Brochu enjoys wildlife, landscape, and adventure photography. “I like the idea of capturing moments in nature,” says Brochu, “whether it’s natural beauty or people enjoying the outdoors.”

When she took this photo, Brochu says, “there was a volunteer from ORCA (Ocean Recovery Community Alliance) nearby monitoring the seal and making sure no one disturbed it. I joined him and photographed the seal for over an hour.”

By all accounts, this seal, after posing for photos and getting the rest it needed, returned to the water on its own.

Seals haul out on rocks or beaches to rest. If you see one, be respectful: Maintain a distance of at least 150 feet and do not touch or disturb the animal. Seals and other marine mammals are protected by law.