Happy Valentine's Day!

For Valentine, the harp seal, that is

By Will Collette

At 9 AM, the Mystic Aquarium Animal Rescue Team, brought Valentine, an 85 pound male harp seal who is between 1 and 2 years old, to the state beach at the Charlestown Breachway for release back into the wild.

About 30 humans came out for the event in a dreary fog and stood on the ever-shortening beach as the tide rolled in.

With their usual efficiency, the Aquarium folks brought Valentine, named such because he was rescued on Valentine's Day eve at Moonstone Beach, out in his kennel carrier. The folks at the Aquarium had patched up Valentine's wounds, which may have been due to a shark attack, and restored him to full health.

Valentine was anxious to get out, pawing at the bars of his kennel cage, and with the briefest of preliminary remarks, the staff freed him to make the waddle down the short stretch of beach to the water.

Valentine was clearly ready to go home, and made a beeline for the water, although he did pause for a brief curtain call.

As you can see from my photos, Valentine is fully restored and indeed looks robust and beautiful.

It's a wonderful thing the folks at Mystic Aquarium do and it's great that they do their releases of the wild creatures they save and heal in our waters.

For more information about the Mystic Aquarium Animal Rescue Program, click here.