Bon Voyage Hamilton

Sir George Somers wasn’t the only one who’s been stranded on Bermuda (you’ve heard about the Sea Venture, right? If not read this). According to this report in Monday’s Baltimore Sun, a harbor seal got caught in a commercial fishing net off the coast of Bermuda in February. Emaciated and nearly strangled, the young pup—named Hamilton, after the island’s capital city—was nursed back to health by the good folks at the National Aquarium in Baltimore and is set to be returned to the ocean today. A happy ending for sure, however accolades should also be showered upon Dr. Ian Walker and his team at the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo. I was just a kid when I last visited the aquarium, wide-eyed at the schools of tropical fish that called it home. I remember watching giant sharks swim in nearby Devil’s Hole and learning about the diverse marine ecosystem that surrounds these islands. It’s a wonderful place and I’m happy to see the aquarium is doing more than just charging folks to watch fish behind a glass wall. So swim on Hamilton, just try to stay clear of the Gulf Stream this time.