Throughout history, harbor seals have evolved sharp eyesight to see through the transparent air zimmer, 2001. Join local middle school students in a question and answer session with seal researcher jamie womble. Andre the seal statue rockport 2020 all you need to know. Although harbor seals mainly rely on their other senses, they do have visual capabilites as well. As a result, harry formed quite a few opinions about among other things biologists, reporters, local traffic problems, fan mail, the feds, animal trainers, and of course, seals. If born prematurely or early in the birthing season, harbor seals retain a whitish lanugo coat which is usually lost before birth.
It is an adaptation of the book a seal called andre, which in turn was based on a true story. Andre, the seal of rockport, maine camden maine vacation. Andre the famous harbor seal kindle edition by hodgkins. Choose from more than 18 properties, ideal house rentals for families, groups and couples. Andre the famous harbor seal by fran hodgkins goodreads. A harbor seals diet primarily consists of herring, flounder, and perch. It served as the inspiration for 1993 family film andre.
Seacoast science center a weak and skinny harbor seal was found on the shore in seabrook, n. The seal was adopted by harry goodridge, who was then a tree surgeon and the harbormaster of rockport, maine. Meet and greet the harbor seals new england aquarium. Hind flippers are used to propel the seal in water because of their higher.
Andre is a 1994 american comedydrama film directed by george t. See more ideas about harbor seal, seal pup and pup. The seal survey has been conducted annually since 1994, though ice and poor weather forced the cancellation of last years survey. Acadia national park, cozy home in seal harbor seal harbor. The harbor seal s scientific name, phoca vitulina, means calflike seal. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading andre the famous harbor seal. Males and females are not sexually dimorphic, males are only slightly larger than females, and therefore, it is difficult to tell the sexes apart. The visual structures of a harbor seal involved in sight actually change when moving from air to water and vice versa. The harbor or harbour seal phoca vitulina, also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and arctic marine coastlines of the northern hemisphere. Popeye the harbor seal san juan islands washington visitors. In russia, kuril seals are listed in the red data book and there is no legal.
Most harbor seal pups shed a white wooly coat before they are born. Harbor seal males are somewhat more monogamous than some pinnipeds, mating with one to several females per year. Jul 21, 1986 andre the seal, who swam here each spring from southern new england and was the subject of at least two childrens books, was found dead saturday at the age of 25, his trainer said. In winter, harbor seals become new yorks beach bums the. This bounty program ceased in 1960, and in 1972, harbor seals became protected under the federal marine mammal protection act and by washington state. Spots or rings are visible on the dorsal surface and much more sparse on the underside. The only difference is that each digit varies in size, as in a human hand. While searching a shoreline, look twice at any bottle floating on its side and defying the current. Daddy has a harbor seal its coat is sleek and shiny when wet its shorts reveal the cutest little hinie.
Harbor seals are brown, tan, or gray, with distinctive vshaped nostrils. The atlantic harbor seal population is stable, which means that it is not at risk of extinction. Andre the seal statue rockport 2020 all you need to. This extraordinary gracious home, situated on a historic estate on one of the highest peaks of ox hill in seal harbor, offers majestic panoramic views of. Popeye the harbor seal san juan islands washington. Harbor seals usually return to the same breeding grounds every year. Like most pinnipeds, harbor seals have a thick layer of blubber. Phoca vitulina, the scientific name for harbor seal, means sea calf or sea dog. And because we enjoyed fran hodgkins, we also bought her other seal book, the orphan seal.
In this engaging beginningreader series, readers are given the chance to watch as four endangered or threatened baby animals grow up. Get a behindthescenes look at the harbor seal exhibit. Andre the famous harbor seal by fran hodgkins, hardcover. Dec 12, 2017 the harbor seal phoca vitulina is a common species of seal that is distributed in the cold temperate waters of the north atlantic and north pacific. Andre the seal statue, rockport, maine roadside america. Fran published her first book, the orphan seal, in 2000. Seals are one of three sea creatures that are pinnipeds. The harbor seals scientific name, phoca vitulina, means calflike seal. The harbor seal the harbor seal, scientific name phoca vitulina, is a pinniped or finfooted marine mammal.
The harbor seal can plunge 300 feet and stay underwater up to 28 minutes. Her first book, the orphan seal, received the henry bergh childrens book award from the aspca. But the star of the seal exhibit that year was a fairly famous harbor seal named andre. Hind flilppers have five bony digits as in the foreflippers. Andre the seal, who swam here each spring from southern new england and was the subject of at least two childrens books, was found. Rockport a documentary on andre the seal and harry goodridge is scheduled to be aired on pbs, wednesday, aug. Discover the differences between seals and sea lions, how researchers track seals, and more. Harbor seals typically live in estuaries or near shore, in rocky or soft bottoms areas. Andre was a harbor seal who spent his summers in rockport harbor.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Almost all of the animals counted were harbor seals, which have been proposed to be designated as the state marine mammal of rhode island. This extraordinary gracious home, situated on a historic estate on one of the highest peaks of ox hill in seal harbor, offers majestic panoramic views of the cranberry isles, the great harbor of mount. The most widely distributed species of pinniped walruses, eared seals, and true seals, they are found in coastal waters of the northern atlantic and pacific oceans, the baltic and north seas. Just for kids andre the famous harbor seal book the smiling cow. This hard cover childrens version of the wonderful story of andre the. Mother harbor seals raise their pups in nurseriesgroups of mothers and their youngthat help protect the seals from predators. The mother nurses the pup with rich milk for three to six weeks. A 12 harbor seal cuddlekins 12 and a 30 cuddlekins harbor seal 30inch. Harbor seals are considered true seals or phocids, which means that instead of ears they possess ear holes, and their rear flippers that act as rudders cannot rotate forward. The most widely distributed species of pinniped walruses, eared seals, and true seals, they are found in coastal waters of the northern atlantic, pacific oceans, baltic and north seas. Andre the seal was a big part of harry goodridges life for more than twentyfive years. They can also dive for up to 2 minutes when they are only 2 to 3 days old.
The hardcover of the andre the famous harbor seal by fran hodgkins at. Though it resembles a dog in profile, a seals head is often held low in the water, bottlelike. The 10 best seal harbor hotel deals may 2020 tripadvisor. On land, the harbor seal moves by undulating in a caterpillarlike motion. Andre was born off the coast of rockport, maine in 1961. The most widely distributed species of pinniped walruses, eared seals, and true seals, they are found in coastal waters of the northern atlantic and pacific oceans, the.
It was always a high point for local residents when he. The harbor seal also has a second a set of limb bones in the hind flippers. Today, a marble statue of andre sits in rockport harbor marine park. Fran has written more than 20 books for young fran hodgkins always loved nature and science, and loved writing as well, so it seemed only logical that she would grow. There are five subspecies of harbor seal, separated geographically. There are 5 commonly recognized subspecies of harbor seals. Harbor seal frequently asked questions below are some questions and answers about the 4 harbor seals at the aquarium of niagara. Fullterm pups are born welldeveloped and able to swim at birth. Seals and climate change according to scientists, the retreat of sea ice has reduced the platform that seals traditionally use to rest between searches for fish and mussels.
Harbor seals are easily identified by the spotted coloring on their fur and their doglike faces. Simple, short sentences and captivating photographs portray the life of each animal as it develops and learns to live independent of either its human caretakers or its natural parents. So it was with rockport, maines harry goodridge and the harbor seal pup he named andre. Daddy has a harbor seal he wears a great big button at the center of his chest under it dere aint nuttin 0 replies. Harbor seals phoca vitulina richardsi are pinnipeds whose diets are diverse, often reflect regional and seasonal availability of prey, and include many species also eaten by steller sea lions ssl. This is more than just a childrens book about an animal. They are the first seals rehabbed by marine mammals of maine since a rehabilitation center in biddeford closed in 2014. Andre was a harbor seal who spent his winters at the new england aquarium in boston and his summers in rockport harbor. Andre, the seal of rockport, maine camden maine vacation blog.
It is against the law to disturb harbor seals and other marine. Mar 20, 2015 even with only its head above water, a harbor seal is easy to identify. Andre the seal was a beloved figure in new england in the 1970s and 80s. To accompany this book, we purchased two plush harbor seals. Jan 24, 2009 but the star of the seal exhibit that year was a fairly famous harbor seal named andre. A lot of hardcore andre the seal fans, dont really get behind the movie. These digits are webbed, covered with hair, and have claws. They are terrific toys to cuddle with as the story is being read to them. Harbor seal frequently asked questions the aquateer. Popeye the harbor seal has been a frequent visitor to friday harbor since 1995. Documentary of rockports andre the seal and harry goodridge. Harbor seal numbers declined more than 80% in western alaska in the 1970s and 1980s, coinciding with noted declines in ssl numbers. No easy day, former navy seal mark owens firstperson account of the raid that killed osama bin laden, has stormed straight to no.
Book online or call 617 9735206 and ask about the meet and greet the harbor seals program. A very cute true story about a seal that became a honorary harbor master of rockport, maine for 20 years up until his death in 1986. Andre the seal may 16, 1961 july 19, 1986 was a male harbor seal pup found off the island of robinsons rock in penobscot bay, maine, united states. In 2005, the port of friday harbor named her the ports official seal, and commissioned a granite sculpture of her, which stands in fairweather park, near the main marina dock entrance. Sep, 2012 no easy day, former navy seal mark owens firstperson account of the raid that killed osama bin laden, has stormed straight to no. Goodridge raised the seal, which lived for 25 years in both wild and human worlds, gaining attention and love from people around the globe. Even with only its head above water, a harbor seal is easy to identify. Sometimes, just sometimes, a human being and a wild ani. The diver saved him and, while raising him, taught him to do tricks. I knew about him from the 1994 motion picture andre, which is based on the true story or at least on the book, which is based on the actual true story. The harbor seals diet consists mainly of fish, shellfish, and crustaceans. These are taken from a study sheet that all volunteers must learn before being allowed access to the seal area. Deaths of harbor seals alarm officials the boston globe.
Male and female harbor seals are very close in size. Harbor seal numbers were severely reduced in puget sound during the first half of the twentieth century by a statefinanced population control program. Pupping in south puget sound, harbor seal pups are born late june through september map for pupping timeframes in washington state and weigh about 1830 pounds. Andre was a harbor seal found as a pup by goodridge in 1961 in the waters off rockport, near robinsons rock. While the harbor seal is the only pinniped found in the northern waters of the pacific and the atlantic, it is also the least pelagic of the pinnipeds, generally coming on shore every day. Dec 30, 2017 daddy has a harbor seal he wears a great big button at the center of his chest under it dere aint nuttin 0 replies. Learn about the fascinating harbor seal research taking place in glacier bay national park. These nicknames represent harbor seals well as these seals resemble a dog when their head pops up above the surface of the water. Andre the famous harbor seal kindle edition by hodgkins, fran. Rent a whole home for your next weekend or holiday.
Seal harbor vacation rentals vrbo book your vacation. Harbor seals marine mammals gulf apex predatorprey. Harbor seals traveled extensively throughout southeastern alaska, the eastern gulf of alaska, and prince william sound, utilizing an area of. The most widely distributed species of pinniped walruses, eared seals, and true seals, they are found in coastal waters of the northern atlantic, pacific oceans, baltic. In winter, harbor seals become new yorks beach bums. View all hotels near andre the seal statue on tripadvisor.
Andre the harbor seal was born in 1961and found abandoned or orphaned by a diver. Harbor seal phoca vitulina alternately spelled harbour seal, also known as the common seal species code. Harbor seal tracks were analyzed using statespace models and utilization distributions were created in arcgis to quantify space use of seals relative to the marine protected areas of glacier bay. Miller and starring tina majorino about a childs encounter with a seal. Her book how people learned to fly is an exemplar in the common core ela standards. Rehabilitated harbor seals released to the atlantic.