January 08, 2004

Floats like a butterfly, talks like a man Hoover the harbour seal amazed people by speaking -- with 'a heavy Boston accent', no less. He is now the inspiration for further investigation of seals learning to use human speech. (Scroll down to November 4th entry.)
posted by beeswacky 20 years ago
  • Okay, that's freakin' freaky!
  • hoover's obit: July 26, 1985, Friday, AM cycle DATELINE: BOSTON Hoover, the seal who endeared itself to millions of people by talking to them in a near-human voice, has died of unknown causes, New England Aquarium officials said. The 200-pound, 14-year-old harbor seal died Thursday in his private pool. Officials at the aquarium's Animal Health Care Center said an animal autopsy, known as a necropsy, was being conducted. Hoover was a celebrity and known for his ''guttural vocalizations,'' said Mimi Brown, an aquarium spokeswoman. ''His repertoire included 'hello there, get over here, Hoover' and a falsetto laugh,'' Brown said. ''He mimicked human sounds, but developed this behavior on his own. It's very rare.'' Hoover was brought to the aquarium from Maine by someone who picked him up as a pup and could not keep him, said Brown. He has several offspring that live in the aquarium's popular outside seal pool. Aquarium workers, who cared for Hoover over the years, said in a statement they are ''saddened by the loss.'' ''For 13 years, Hoover has been our goodwill ambasador to the world. Regular visitors will surely miss his cheerful 'hello there' when they visit the aquarium,'' the statement said.
  • I don't know how I missed this the first time around, but it bears a second look. The article has audio of a seal saying "hello there".
  • This is enlightening and disturbing on many levels, much like the King of Town, but different. Sorry, on a bit of a homestar kick at the end of the day.