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Dublins Amazing Waving Seal Charlie Entertains The Crowds

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  • 18-03-2011 3:53pm
    #1
    wildirishswan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 41 ✭


    People like to feed the Seals in Howth harbour Dublin and Charlie the Seal has realized that if he waves to the crowd they will throw him a fish. He is the only Seal in the harbour doing this.

    Here is a video i made of this incredible behaviour.

    VIDEO LINK.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJWeGf-Q_GM
    Tagged:


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    #2
    tricky D
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,700 ✭✭✭tricky D


    Saw him the other day doing that.

    Apparently, they've just put up a 'Don't Feed the Seals' sign down there with a €5,000 fine. I'll get a photo to confirm later.


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    #3
    xoxyx
    Registered Users Posts: 1,811 ✭✭✭xoxyx


    wildirishswan wrote: »
    Charlie the Seal has realized that if he waves to the crowd they will throw him a fish.

    Awwwww - that's lovely!! :)
    tricky D wrote: »
    Apparently, they've just put up a 'Don't Feed the Seals' sign down there with a €5,000 fine.

    A sad end to a beautiful story. Poor waving Charlie! :(


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    #4
    tricky D
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,700 ✭✭✭tricky D


    dont-feed-the-seals-notice.jpg


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    #5
    Daisy!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 369 ✭✭Daisy!


    I live near enough to Howth and keep meaning to go out to see the seals. Are they there most days at the moment?


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    #6
    tricky D
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,700 ✭✭✭tricky D


    They're starting to hang around that quayside less. They're still around the harbour, but they'll probably move on in time.

    It's a pity really. They were a great draw especially for kids and tourists. If it's a matter of health and safety, they could have just put up a moveable fence thing. It was a bit dangerous. However, there is also the argument of the feeding suppressing their natural instincts. Whatever the reason, it's a pity.


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    #7
    Fuinseog
    Registered Users Posts: 5,371 ✭✭✭Fuinseog


    tricky D wrote: »
    Saw him the other day doing that.

    Apparently, they've just put up a 'Don't Feed the Seals' sign down there with a €5,000 fine. I'll get a photo to confirm later.

    why would they want to do that?


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    #8
    whiskeyman
    Registered Users Posts: 12,564 ✭✭✭✭whiskeyman


    I wonder will that be enforced??
    Didn't the fish shops opposite clearly advertise fish bits for sale to feed the seals?
    Have they stopped this I wonder?


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    #9
    deaddonkey
    Registered Users Posts: 861 ✭✭✭deaddonkey


    Fuinseog wrote: »
    why would they want to do that?

    You gotta get your money wherever you can these days.


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    #10
    deelite
    Registered Users Posts: 2,876 ✭✭✭deelite


    Fuinseog wrote: »
    why would they want to do that?

    Apparently to stop people feeding the seals Mars Bars (it was in the Daily Mail). Anytime I've been there's been young couples, and families with children and I've never once seen the seals being fed anything but fish. We used to buy a bucket of fish for 2 euro.


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    #11
    Clare Bear
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,613 ✭✭✭✭Clare Bear


    I saw them there today. They weren't too impressed that everyone was looking at them and not feeding them any fish :(


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    #12
    Fuinseog
    Registered Users Posts: 5,371 ✭✭✭Fuinseog


    I still fail to see the logic, although in some parks you cannot feed the ducks as it attracts rodents.
    if this continue the seals will go on their merry way and this law could harm tourism.
    I think there are seals southside as well, but are not fed?


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    #13
    Degsy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,397 ✭✭✭✭Degsy


    It was a bye-law drawn up in 1979 when we still had a fishing industry probably to discourage seals from hanging round the harbour and eating fish that had been landed as well as upturning boats from the numerous bouting clubs in the area.


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    #14
    tricky D
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,700 ✭✭✭tricky D


    Was just down there asking around. It's for the few reasons already mentioned: public safety, unnatural behaviour and small craft safety. I'd be a bit skeptical on the Mars Bars though. It's not mentioned in the recent article. I head down there a fair bit and have never seen anything but fish being fed to them. They won't put up a fence as it is a working area. There's a boat unloading there right now.


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