Feeding Seagulls

I try to get to the beach once a week, usually on Sunday. It’s a great opportunity to relax before being pulled back into the grind of the work week. I usually go alone, which is perfect for lying on the beach with a book, or staring into the distance as my mind wanders. It’s good for the soul.

During the extended summer months, the beach is filled with tourists. They’re easy to spot, doing tourist things. They stand on rocks with the ocean in the background taking selfies. They walk along the water’s edge, often in their shoes and get caught off-guard when a wave rushes in, soaking them from the waist down. The kids stand at the edge of the water and squeal in delight as the waves rush in and they jump just as the water reaches their feet. They run after the seagulls that strut along the beach. In their excitement of being at the ocean, they leave bags or coolers open, unwittingly inviting the seagulls to take their pick of the contents.

You learn fairly quickly that you cannot feed them. If you find one or two and attempt to toss them some bread or crackers, you’ll soon be surrounded by one or two dozen, all of them yelling and screaming that they want some too. A couple weeks ago I saw a woman walking along with what appeared to be a loaf of bread. She would walk along until she came across a group of small children, where she would stop. She then reached into the bag and tossed a piece of bread onto the ground. Within seconds, she and the children were surrounded by gulls, begging for more. The kids, shrieking and laughing, ran around, chasing the gulls as the woman tossed more bread on the ground. She laughed and I laughed, too. I could tell this woman was a local, and it wasn’t the first time she’d done this.

The seagulls are a peculiar bird. They’re opportunistic. They roam about, scavenging for crumbs left behind by beach visitors. The tourists don’t always understand how relentless these birds can be in their hunt for food. I’ve seen a teenage girl lose a bag of just-opened Cheetos when one of the gulls swooped down to snatch the one in her hand. This scared her and she dropped the bag. Cheetos flew everywhere. Within seconds, twenty other seagulls had swooped in to join in the Cheetos feast. The girl shrugged and laughed it off. Lesson learned.

Normally, you don’t feed the seagulls. The woman with the bread was an exception. I don’t think anyone feeds them on purpose. It’s more likely they are bullied by these birds into giving up pieces of food. And then, they realize they’ve made a mistake when it’s too late.