Paddling in the dark.

So... with sunset around 5:00 now the only way to continue paddling is to put on a headlamp and go. A bit freaky at first because I can't see the water but after around fifteen minutes I become comfortable enough to focus on pulling my canoe forward. After about 45 minutes we get to the south entrance of Alameda Estuary and turn around the marker. Beautiful night. I was talking to Eric when suddenly saw what looked like a head in the water just off of his right bow. Then it disappeared.
"Was that A seal?" I asked
Then I heared an exhalation behind me and the head looking at us.
"Guess so"
I hope his dinner is not to oily, and we did not interrupt his fishing.
On the way back we were in a pretty good ebb tide and flying. I had my head down a bit and pulled hard, the water was flowing past my hull. The sound of my paddle entering the water was almost nonexistent. And I was soaring in the darkness.