THE IMPENETRABLE SEA 



breeding banks. Posters urging holiday makers "Don't 

 pet the seals" were put up by the R.S.P.C.A. at many 

 resorts. Mrs. Jean Mudie, R.S.P.C.A. secretary at Hun- 

 stanton, told the London Sunday Express reporter that no 

 fewer than fifteen baby seals had come ashore during the 

 previous three days, but did not want to return to the sea 

 again. Mrs. Mudie explained that ''On shore they don't 

 live more than a fortnight". As sea creatures they needed 

 to return to the sea. Yet the animals were so responsive 

 to the pettings that they would not leave the shores, and 

 so — with the sea waiting to receive them back again — 

 they died. 



There are numerous stories of the sagacity and skill of 

 seals. They are often seen in circuses and stage-shows 

 performing balancing tricks. They have been trained by 

 showmen in many countries from time immemorial. 

 During the nineteenth century the French were particu- 

 larly successful in training them, and numbers of per- 

 forming seals were appearing in fairs in all parts of 

 France. 



During the i86o's a very fine sea-bear [Otaria ursina) 

 attracted crowds to the London Zoo. It is not one of the 

 easiest seals to train, being one of the furred seals which 

 are "bearish" in both senses of the word, possessing some 

 of the characteristics of bears and also showing signs of 

 temper at times. This "talking fish" as it was called was 

 a bad-tempered, even vicious, brute before a Frenchman 

 named Le Blanc began its training. The animal, showing 

 none of the normal seal's inclination to friendliness, 

 savagely resented the training and attacked Le Blanc 

 again and again. He bore numerous scars until the end 

 of his life. 



At last he won it over by persistent kindness, and it 

 became one of the finest performing seals ever exhibited 

 in any country. Its love for its master became unbounded. 

 It seized every opportunity of displaying its afifection, 

 and followed him everywhere. If separated from him for 



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