Selkie Life @selkie-life - Tumblr Blog

Welcome to the Selkie Life Blog!

My name is Neraida, and this is a space where I will be sharing my thoughts, questions, and experiences as a selkie 🦭

𓆟 𓆟 𓆟 𓆟 𓆟 𓆟 𓆟 𓆟 𓆟 𓆟 𓆟 𓆟 𓆟 𓆟

Anyone else grow up hearing the water call your name?

I’d go to shower and I’d hear someone call my name and I’d literally turn off the shower and yell “what?!” cuz I legit thought someone was calling my name and when I’d ask the other ppl in the house they were like “naw I didn’t call u be hearing things”

It would happen when I took baths, went to the river, at the lake, and especially at the sea

It used to creep me tf out until I figured out I was a selkie, and when I figured out I was a selkie, the water finally stopped calling my name because I guess it’s like I finally answered and knew what the water was trying to tell me or something

Now it’s like when I’m near the water and I expect to hear my name, but I don’t and all I get is the sense that I’ve found home, want to dive in and be forever embraced by the water

Am a seal but sometimes I look at other creatures like for example a tiger, cheetah, lioness, kitsune, mermaid, horse, dragon and wolf and think “wow yall are so amazing and it would be so amazing to be you!”

When I was a kid I thought I might have been one of those creatures, yet none of them felt like what I truly was, and then later in life I find out I’m a largha seal of all things 🦭😆

It’s just been such an odd experience. Like why did it take me so long to figure out what I was? 👀

LIFE UPDATE: HYSTERECTOMY AT 22 YEARS OLD!

TW: female health, uterus, blood loss, and health issues. Just skip this post if you’re already feeling uncomfortable. I’m just sharing my thoughts because I need a place to talk UUUUUWAAAA! 🦭

Recently had an appointment with my gynecologist/surgeon who just did my diagnostic lacroscopic surgery and was diagnosed with a severe case of endometriosis/adenmyosis

He gave me some of options of what I can do, yet because I know my condition can only progress - even with HRT, and that I’m not having genetically related children in this life, I opted to have a hysterectomy with ovarian conservation. Not only will this remove all the endometriosis/adenmyosis, but also prevent my body from losing more blood which is aggravating my hypovolemic POTS.

So yeah, no more periods, blood loss, constant abdominal pain, anemia, and this should clear up my hypovolemic POTS once I build up my blood volume

And life without all those terrible things happening to me will enable me to LIVE! I’ll be able to walk, bike, run, drive and swim, get a job, have a real life and not be bed bound all the time! 🥳

So to all my fellow creatures out there who are suffering from endometriosis and want to put and end to their misery, PLEASE do not give up hope! There are doctors out there who WILL help you - they can just be kinda hard to find

ALSO PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GET MEDICAL HELP IF you are experiencing ANY trouble with your menstrual cycles GO TO A GYNECOLOGIST, because if you can get help early on you CAN get treatment to prevent endometriosis from taking over your life like it did mine

Had I had known about endometriosis sooner in life, I would have sought out a gynecologist YEARS ago and maybe I could have prevented endometriosis from ruining my life at age 22 with hormone therapy and prevented me from needing surgery

Also I want to make note, if you do go see a gynecologist and you don’t feel like you’re getting the help you need in a timely manner (like let’s say you need help this week and can’t be seen for months), PLEASE don’t hesitate to call your insurance provider ask them to help you find someone who will help you ASAP! Your insurance will help you find a new doctor who will help you and/or put pressure on the facility to make sure you’re getting the care you need in a timely manner because your insurance wants to make sure your cared for and don’t end up in the ER - because that costs them a TON of money. I speak from experience here 😅

Additionally, please do research and I mean LOTS of research if you’re battling ANY issues with your reproductive system. I read so many medical reports, scientific studies, and read countless of stories of cases (positive and negative stories) online to educate myself at a doctorate level of what I was going though so I could make a smart decision when the time came for either surgery or going on HRT.

Everyone’s choice of procedure is valid, and remember it’s ultimately your body and your choice of what treatment you do accept yet please be prepared and aware of any risks and or side effects that choice may have as consequences.

Like in my case, there was too many risks and potential side effects for pursuing hormone therapy for stage 3 endometriosis that put me at risk for many other medical complications such as uterine and cervical cancer, exacerbated PMDD, and complications with hypovolemic POTS that could endanger my life, not to mention there was no guarantee I could get my life back with suppressing my symptoms, so instead of risking it for the biscuit taking hormones I opted for a hysterectomy because that was the best and safest choice for me long term health-wise according to my research.

I hope this post reaches someone who needs to hear this and know they aren’t alone 🙏🏻

In the end, I’m very excited that by this time next year I should be fully recovered and swimming to my selkie heart’s content!

LIFE UPDATE: Surgery Recovery and Missing the Water 🦭

TW: female health, uterus, blood loss, and mental health issues. Just skip this post if you’re already feeling uncomfortable. I’m just sharing my thoughts because I need a place to talk

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve been able to swim and I miss the water so much I could cry

Summer time for me is when I swim at the lakes and reservoirs at least once a week, but I’m down and barely able to walk because of my health

I have been dealing with severe uterine pain, bleeding from movement, and chronic inflammation for a few months now, but on the 24th of August I went in for a diagnostic laparoscopic surgery and have been diagnosed with stage 3 localized endometriosis/adenomyosis that’s covering the entire exterior of my uterus (meanwhile the interior is perfect and doesn’t even have a lining anymore because I’m on continuous HRT to prevent menstruation)

So now I’m recovering from surgery, and can’t swim until the surgical sites are healed over. Even then, it’s not like my condition has/will improve so I’ll still have the stage 3 endo/adenomyosis that will continue to disable me from functioning - let alone actually be able to swim and not just float around because movement makes me bleed

At this point I just want to get a partial hysterectomy (ovaries are healthy and fine so I can keep those for estrogen to avoid early menopause), and I’ve already mentioned this to my gynecologist because not only do I not want to prolong my suffering and decline of quality of life for years and years, but I do not want to have children in this life for various reasons - health issues mainly.

Unfortunately as a 22 yo, you can imagine the backlash I get for not wanting to keep my uterus because “I’m too young to decide what future me may want”.

But I know my health isn’t going to radically improve because genes are genes and it’s those genes I refuse to pass on for both physical and mental reasons - I will not allow someone let alone force someone into a life only to undergo the same pain and suffering I was forced into. And there’s no guarantee that their experiences would be any better than mine if not way worse.

And it’s not that I’m totally against raising children, like I’m totally open to surrogacy with donor eggs (because I don’t want the children to be genetically related to me nor do I wish to ever experience the suffering of pregnancy). I’d be willing to raise kids if someday down the road I can provide for both them and myself and we all live comfortably, but if I can’t make things work financially on my own then raising children is still out of the question.

In the end, I don’t need a uterus to have children - we live in 2026, and I don’t need to live my life in misery until I reach menopause.

And I honestly think that it’s better for me health wise to undergo this surgery sooner than later in life because I am young and will heal faster and better than if I have a partial hysterectomy when I’m in my 40s. Not to mention I can finally put and end to the endless experiments of HRT that puts me at risk of so many other things - mainly cancer and PMDD (extreme mood swings and suicidal thoughts).

In the end, I’ve done my research, I also know the cons of a partial hysterectomy, however my current condition outweighs the cons at this point as I need relief from blood loss and the risks to my life that having a uterus imposes because I have hypovolemic POTS.

I’m just so done fighting at this point and I want my life back. I deserve to live better than this and to have a chance at a better future. I want to live independently, have a job, have a house, and go swim when I want and the only thing that’s keeping me from those things is my uterus

When I see my gynecologist at my next appointment, it’s time for a serious talk because I’m done living like this. I’m supposed to be in the water and swimming around and living my best selkie life!

Does anyone else carry memories like this?

Places you remember from before the land looked the way it does now?

Sometimes I remember things I have no logical way of knowing.

Living in the Pacific Northwest, I look out at the valleys and hills and I don’t just see what’s there today. I see what once was: a vast, ancient sea covering everything. The water was so deep and wide, dotted with many islands. As the waters slowly receded over thousands of years, those islands grew into the hills and mountains we know now. When I stand at the base of a valley and look up, I remember being deep underwater right there. The water was alive with fish, so many fish, and aquatic life everywhere. The memory is vivid even though this body has never experienced it.

There’s another place that pulls at me just as strongly: Bac Mòr, aka Dutchman’s Cap, that rocky island off the coast of Scotland. When I see pictures of it, I remember a time when the sea was much higher. You could haul out on the very top of the cap. There wasn’t much grass then, mostly bare rock with patches of vegetation. Seabirds and gulls filled the air. Just beyond the brim where the “cap” ends today, the shelf dropped off into deeper water.

That memory feels ancient too. Thousands of years old, maybe more. Time didn’t feel the same back then. How do you measure “when” in a life that no longer exists in the same form?

I don’t know exactly what these memories are. Are they past lives? Fragments from an alternate timeline somehow reaching me here? Echoes carried through the water itself? I may never have a clean answer. All I know is that they feel real to me.

And they leave me with a deep, aching homesickness for the sea. The waves, the depths, the weightlessness - that is where I feel most like myself. The only place I truly feel at home.

Until then, I’ll keep listening to the pull of the water. 🌊

Are you more like a wild seal or like a trained zoo seal or maybe one of those seals that hangs around certain harbors so they aren't too startled by humans?

I'm asking in case I ever see you, so I know if I'll be able to pet you without scaring you away.

Great question 👀

Am a wild seal who mingles with the humans to teach them things that they need to know so that life can continue on this planet 🌎

Yet I’m very particular of who I let near me, so depending on what a person’s intentions are, a pat might be acceptable if I sense your intentions are good. If not, then I keep my distance lol

🧴✨ Selkie Hair Oil: My Homemade Potion for Long, Silky, Swim-Proof Hair ✨🧴

Hey selkies, mermaids, and anyone chasing that ethereal, flowy hair dream 🌊

If you swim a lot, deal with hard water, chlorine damage, dry ends, or just want hair that feels like it belongs in a fairy tale, this one’s for you.

I developed this Silky Selkie Hair Oil as a selkie who refuses to let pool water or everyday life wreck my long hair. It’s super simple - no boiling, no fancy equipment. Just gentle heating on the stove (or even no heat if you prefer), a quick mix, and into a recycled glass bottle.

It works beautifully on ALL hair types

Straight, wavy, curly, coily, fine, thick, any color. I’ve tested it on lots of different beings hair and it adapts amazingly well. It’s especially great as a detangler and leave in oil - keep in mind that a little really does go a long way and too much can make hair look greasy, yet used sparingly on damp or dry hair (especially the ends and mid-lengths) it leaves everything soft, shiny, and manageable.

My Exact Ingredients (for ~150 mL batch)

Here’s what I used (approximate measurements that fill a 150 mL bottle nicely. Adjust as needed):

4–5 tablespoons coconut oil (base moisturizer)

3–4 tablespoons avocado oil (for deep nourishment and shine)

1–2 tablespoons petroleum jelly (for extra slip and protection — melts in easily)

1 teaspoon vitamin E oil (for preservation and added hair benefits)

5–7 drops rosemary essential oil (for growth and scalp health)

Optional: 3–5 drops ylang-ylang essential oil (for floral scent balance and scalp benefits)

Note: You can swap or adjust the carrier oils based on what you have. The totals should come out around 150 mL.

Step-by-Step: How I Made Mine

1: Measure the coconut oil, avocado oil, and petroleum jelly into a heat-safe container.

2: Warm gently on the stove (low heat or double-boiler style) until everything melts and combines smoothly - do not boil.

3: Remove from heat and stir in the vitamin E oil.

4: Add the rosemary essential oil (and ylang-ylang if using). Stir well.

5: Let it cool slightly, then funnel into your clean, recycled opaque glass bottle (I use a 150 mL lotion pump bottle that works beautifully; a spray bottle could work too).

6: Shake gently, label it, and store in a cool, dark, dry place.

It stays fresh for months when stored properly!

Why it works:

Chlorine & hard water shield: Oil your hair before swimming (after a cold water rinse) to lock out the harsh stuff that strips natural oils and makes hair dry/brittle.

Moisture & shine: The coconut, avocado, and petroleum jelly nourish deeply, while rosemary and optional ylang-ylang boost scalp health and softness.

Long-lasting: A 150 mL batch lasts me months (I’ve had mine ~6 months with no rancidity).

How I Use My Selkie Oil:

Pre-swim ritual: Wet hair with cold water, apply a good amount (make it a little greasy, trust me), braid or pin it up tight against your head. Reapply every 2-4 hours if you’re in the water a long time. The oil helps lock out chlorine and keeps moisture in.

Daily/after wash: Focus on the ends and mid-lengths as a leave-in. You don’t need to wash your ends every time - buildup of good oils/conditioner helps protect against breakage. Great for detangling too!

Pro tip: Use a pea-sized amount to start. Warm it in your palms first. For deeper treatment, apply more, leave on 30-60 min (or overnight), then shampoo.

It’s been a game-changer for me. My hair feels softer, stronger, and way less prone to snapping at the ends. Whether you have dry hair, swim daily, or just want that selkie shine, give it a try!

Would love to hear your variations or results if you make it 💌

Why I Simply Call Myself a Selkie

Disclaimer: This is simply my personal experience and how I understand my own reality. Everyone’s journey is valid and may look completely different. There is no one “correct” way to be alterhuman, therian, or anything else. This is just how it feels true for me.

Have been thinking a lot lately about labels in the alterhuman community, and why I don’t personally use terms like otherkin, therian, theriomythic, or similar for myself.

For me, the answer is simple: I am a selkie. Not as an identity, but as my fundamental being.

To me, an identity is something that can shift, evolve, or be chosen. It often sits in the realm of the spiritual, psychological, or emotional. My experience as a selkie doesn’t feel like any of those. It simply is. It has always been this way, unchanging. Because it is not fluid and does not require claiming or maintaining, I don’t frame it as an identity. I simply am a selkie.

This ties into something broader that fascinates me: the idea that each of us exists within our own subjective reality. Science and philosophy both support the notion that perception shapes experience, our senses, neurology, beliefs, and circumstances create a unique lens through which we understand the world. What is “real” to me may not align with what is real to someone else, and that’s okay.

In my reality, I am a selkie. One day I may find my pelt and return to the ocean as a seal, and I do not see this as delusion; it is simply my personal perception of my existence. And while one may perceive it differently through their own lens, I totally respect that.

Now one may ask why I use “identity” labels/tags when I make my posts?

Using broader tags like #alterhuman, #therian, #otherkin, etc. when I post isn’t because I identify with those labels, but because they help my experiences reach others who might relate. If even one person finds comfort in knowing they’re not alone, then the tags have done their job. They’re tools for connection and visibility, not definitions of who I am.

I’m curious how others experience the difference (or lack of difference) between identity and being? 👀

I have no fibsh and I must OUGH

I’m not sure how many spotted seals I have in my photo gallery so here’s a few

So many fellow seals 🦭 ♡

First Swim in a Long While 🦭

Yesterday I finally got back in the water for the first time in what feels like forever.

After dealing with so much abdominal pain, inflammation, and bleeding from uterine masses, fibroids/adenomyosis, I wasn’t sure how it would go. I couldn’t do my usual intense seal swimming routine, no aquatic acrobatics or energetic flips this time. Instead, I moved slowly and carefully. I dove gently, floated, and practiced holding my breath longer than usual. Mostly I just relaxed and let the water hold me.

I realized I still can’t lay on my back comfortably. It pulls on my abdomen and stretches everything in a way that hurts. So I stayed mostly on my stomach or gently hunched, which probably isn’t the best for my back long-term… yet it is what it is right now while everything is inflamed and healing. I’ve been on pain medication that has actually been working quite well, and that made the difference.

Even with all the limitations, it was wonderful. Just being in the water again, weightless, away from gravity’s constant pressure, felt like such a relief. I spent at least an hour moving around at my own slow pace, floating on a pool toy, and simply enjoying being a seal for a little while.

It wasn’t the swim I used to have, but it was still healing in its own quiet way. Here’s to more gentle swims ahead as my body keeps recovering. 💙

#selkie life #uterinehealth #uterinefibroids #uterus #womens health #health and wellness #health issues #swimming

What Are You?

A reflection on identity versus being, in the context of therianthropy, otherkin, and beyond.

Disclaimer: This is a generalized post based on own experiences and observations. Everyone’s experiences are valid and do not have to align with what is written here. This is simply one perspective offered as a guide for those who may be questioning or exploring these concepts. One’s path is deeply personal.

One often hears the phrases “I identify as therian” or “I identify as otherkin.” These statements are common and useful for many. Yet one has found it valuable to sit with the distinction between identity and being.

Identity tends to be something one claims or aligns with. It can be fluid, evolving, and influenced by many factors: personal growth, new understandings, community, or life circumstances. Identity does not necessarily imply permanence. One can identify with something at one point in life and shift that identification later without it negating the experience. It can coexist with one’s humanity: “I am human, and this is an important part of my identity.”

Being, on the other hand, feels more like a state of existence. It is not chosen or layered on top of something else. It simply is. There is no separation, no “human plus this other thing.” When one says “I am a seal,” it is not framed as an identity one holds alongside humanity. It is a recognition of what one fundamentally is. The seal is not a role or a facet, it is the core. There is no back-and-forth negotiation with humanity in that sense of being. It simply exists as truth.

This distinction matters because the language one uses shapes how one understands oneself and how others perceive these experiences. Many in the therian and otherkin communities move between these framings, and both can be meaningful. One does not assume everyone experiences this the same way.

Mythological Lenses as Thought Experiments

To explore these ideas further, one finds it helpful to consider mythological beings that echo these concepts:

The Selkie: A being who can voluntarily shift between seal and human forms, often by means of their pelt or skin. The change is largely at will (though folklore sometimes adds conditions, such as limitations every seven years). One might see parallels here to experiences where one consciously steps into or out of aspects of their nature, fluid movement between forms or presentations without losing control or awareness.

The Wereseal (or similar were-creatures): Like a werewolf, the transformation is often involuntary or triggered by external forces (the moon, strong emotions, etc.). There may be a humanoid in-between state, neither fully human nor fully seal. One might relate this to experiences of shifts that feel uncontrollable, where the animal nature surges forward whether one wishes it or not. The being is still tied to both forms, but the transition itself is not always gentle or chosen.

Simply a Seal: No pelt to don or remove. No involuntary transformations. No human default to return to. One is a seal. Always has been. The form does not change because there is no other baseline state. This feels closest to one’s own sense of being. There is no “human wearing a seal suit” or temporary shift. It is simply what one is.

These are not perfect analogies, of course, and individual therian/otherkin realities vary widely. Yet they offer ways to think about questions of control, permanence, duality, and unity.

For me personally, this has always leaned toward the “simply a selkie” understanding. I do not identify as a selkie, I simply am one. It does not feel like an identity one adopted or a role one plays alongside being human. It feels like the foundational truth of what I am. That does not invalidate those who experience it as identity, as shifts, as voluntary or involuntary, as therian, otherkin, or something else entirely. It is simply how it presents for me.

One invites reflection: What are you? Not what label fits best today, but what feels like the deepest truth of your existence? Is it layered, fluid, chosen, or simply so? There is no single right answer. Only the one that resonates in your bones (or flippers).

Feel free to share your thoughts if this resonates or if it challenges something for you. ♡

Saw this video on another platform and the comments were all like “OMG ISA LEOPARD SEAL!”

Nah that’s a harbor seal - could even be a selkie

And while harbor seals may have “rosettes” and spots that are “leopard like” but leopard seals are VERY different than harbor seals 🦭

For anyone wondering what the differences are between these two magnificent species of seals, here’s a brief essay:

Size and Physical Appearance

Harbor seals: Relatively small and compact. Adults are typically 5–6 feet (1.5-1.8 m) long and weigh 180–285 pounds (80–130 kg), with males slightly larger than females

They have a spotted or mottled coat (gray, brown, or tan with darker spots), a rounded head, and a more “cute” or approachable look

Leopard seals: Much larger and more elongated/serpentine. Adults range from 7.9–11.5+ feet (2.4–3.5+ m), with females often larger than males (up to ~12.5 ft / 3.8 m)

They weigh 440–1,320 pounds (200–600 kg). Their coat is dark gray/black on the back with distinctive lighter spots (hence the “leopard” name), a large head, powerful jaws with prominent teeth, and a more streamlined, predatory build

Leopard seals are apex predators built for power and speed (up to ~24–25 mph / 38–40 km/h underwater), while harbor seals are more agile but far less imposing

Habitat and Distribution

Harbor seals: Found in temperate and subarctic coastal waters of the North Atlantic and North Pacific (e.g., along US coasts, Alaska, Europe)

They haul out on rocks, beaches, reefs, sandbars, or ice in protected areas and are commonly seen near human-populated coastlines

Leopard seals: Primarily Antarctic and subantarctic, associated with pack ice (pagophilic)

They are solitary and range across the Southern Ocean, with occasional vagrants reaching southern Australia, South America, or New Zealand

They prefer ice floes and areas near penguin colonies

Harbor seals live in milder, coastal environments; leopard seals thrive in extreme polar conditions with thick blubber for insulation

Diet and Hunting

Harbor seals: Primarily fish eaters (generalist but focused on fish, plus shellfish, squid, and crustaceans)

They forage in shallow to moderate depths in coastal and estuarine waters

Leopard seals: Highly opportunistic apex predators with a broad diet including krill, fish, squid, cephalopods, seabirds (especially penguins), and even other pinnipeds (e.g., seal pups)

They are known for aggressive hunting tactics, like thrashing penguins to “deglove” them for blubber. Some individuals specialize (e.g., penguin focused or krill focused)

Leopard seals sit much higher in the food chain and are one of the few seals that regularly prey on other marine mammals; their only natural predator is the orca

Behavior and Social Structure

Harbor seals: Often haul out in small to moderate groups but are not highly social

They are relatively quiet (growls, whistles) and can be wary but tolerant of humans in some areas

Pups are born on land/rock and swim soon after

Leopard seals: Mostly solitary (non gregarious). They are more vocal and known for their loud, haunting calls

Females are larger and give birth on ice

They are powerful, fast swimmers and can be quite bold or aggressive

Lifespan and Conservation

Both species can live 25–30 years

Harbor seals are common in many areas and protected under laws like the US Marine Mammal Protection Act. Leopard seals are also protected and not currently of major conservation concern, though they face climate-related ice habitat changes

#seals #harbor seal #harbor seals #leopard seal #leopard seals #selkie #selchies #selchie #selkie seal #i love seals #seal posting #seal #sealcore #selkies

Saw a young kid today with a tail at the store. They were probably around 8-12 years old, and it just made me so happy to think they could be a therian, otherkin, or some kind of creature

It’s so awesome to see those who do public gearing. Helps us who don’t have as obvious gear feel less alone 🦭

#otherkin #otherkin thoughts #selchie #selkie #selkies #therian things #therian thoughts #alter human #harbor seal #nonhuman #alterhuman #non human #otherkin gear #therian gear #selkie therian #theriotype #public gearing

>゜)))彡

>゜))彡

>゜))))彡

Have some fish!

Thank you for the fish!

Why chasing “acceptance” from others of my own experience is a waste of life in the mind of this seal 🦭

Am not one to force others to look at me the same way I know that I am as what purpose would it truly serve me: gratification, acknowledgment, ego, and potential conflict?

These are not things a seal ponders about, for all such creature cares for is fish, water, and should they have them, their mate and or pup.

In other words, a seal doesn’t challenge its predators to see it as something other than a meal, for the seal doesn’t wish to become a snack in the presence of its eater, and knows it cannot change the hunter’s mind and thus it doesn’t bother to try for what a waste of time and life!

Ate raw fish today, ate seaweed, and have spent most of the day laying around because my body has decided to do its own thing rather than what I want it to do 🦭

Have to remind myself that it’s valid and okay to be like this, the only hard part is a really want to go to the lake this week but my abdominal female issues have decided to act up again. Can’t wait to get that MRI to figure this chaos out!

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