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Andre the Seal

Repairs underway on statue of famous New England harbor seal

Catherine Saunders-Watson
Catherine Saunders-Watson
Andre the Seal
Harry Goodridge and André the Seal in 1974. Photo by Swampmom54, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license

ROCKPORT, Maine (AP) – Repairs are underway on the statue of a Maine harbor seal that is beloved by the town of Rockport.

Harbormaster Abbie Leonard says the statue of Andre the Seal is currently undergoing repairs and the town hopes to have it fixed up by the end of June. WABI-TV reports a funding effort for the repairs is still underway, but Leonard notes people are passionate about the restoration.

Residents recall fond memories of the orphaned seal pup, which was rescued in 1961 by local tree surgeon Harry Goodridge. Goodridge cared for Andre until he was old enough to be released.

Andre went on to spend his winters in southern New England and his summers in Rockport for the next 25 years, becoming the subject of a film and book.

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Information from: WABI-TV, http://www.wabi.tv

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