Vocalizations of Phoca Vitulina at Duisburg Zoo

In the summer of 1984 I spent many hours videotaping "Hoover, the Talking Seal" at the New England Aquarium for my Harvard Senior Thesis in Biological Anthropology. Hoover was a male harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) who had an aberrant vocalization pattern, using English words and phrases (Hey, hey, hey, Hello there, Hoover, Get Outta Here) instead of normal seal utterances. This summer in Duisburg Germany I finally caught on video a male harbor seal making what I imagine are the normal vocalizations that Hoover modified into his unique English mimicry.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Phoca vitulina
• harbor seal
• vocalizations

[amyneddkt]

I would be interested in seeing the videos taken of Hoover, is that something you are planning on sharing at some point?

[fluffwaddledee]

Do you have any of the videos of Hoover still? I'd love to see them.

[TheTuj]

fish! I want fish!

[roxyloveriley]

@lukapetrasinovic

There are seals that can vocalize similarly and almost uncannily like human beings. Hoover the seal is such an example. But you are right, this is retarded

[lukapetrasinovic]

this is stupid. now everybody with an animal that makes a slightly different sound than others of its species will have people interpreting it as whatever sentence they want. and i'm not holding it to unreachable standards for an animal, there's some dog that does a convincing 'i love you' this just sucks.

[Dragonlunch]

Thats the male Robbie. He does that quite often :D

[Beardy241]

Funny. Sounds like me snoring.

[m] ;)