The global lockdown brought upon us many unforeseen spectacles from the animal world. Hundreds of thousands of pink flamingoes took over Mumbai, jackals appeared en mass across Tel Aviv, and mountain goats descended from their perches to many a street across Wales. Now, a lone seal has made its way into Melbourne’s Yarra River.
Just yesterday a new video emerged of a sleepy seal taking a quick snooze just outside the Docklands Marina.
The marine mammal was first spotted by Gemima Cody during the first year of lockdown, who was walking her dog along the city’s arterial waterway when the seal flung up a fish from the depths below.
The recent footage comes courtesy of Instagram account @seally-friend, whose admin is doing the work everyone needs, and has put the call-out for footage and imagery to anyone who spots the playful creatures.
This, however, isn’t the first time a seal has been spotted along the Yarra within close proximity to the CBD. It’s speculated that this morning’s sighting could have been the return 200kg fur seal known as Salvatore, who was first spotted in 2014, then three years later in 2017.
For those wanting to get a glimpse of Salvatore, or at least his lookalike, a great place to start is the Yarra Trail near Richmond’s Bridge Road, where the occasional seal has been spotted in the past. Or, just check out the footage on @seally-friend's Instagram.
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Image credit: Unsplash