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A baby seal was on the roof this morning.

April 22nd, 2010

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UPDATE: Join Fiddler's Facebook Fan Page

The sound of someone shuffling around on the roofdeck of my apartment this morning woke me up at 6:30am.  Groggy, I threw on some clothes to see what was going on.

Just as I crest the top stair, to my surprise I see a baby seal hanging out!  At this point I can't tell if I'm still dreaming or not, so I go downstairs and grab my camera.  Take a photo- yes, check, baby seal on camera.

So I call Newport Beach animal control.  Our conversation went something like this:

Police: "Hello, Newport Beach police."
Me:  "Hi, um, there is a sea lion on my roof."
Police:  "Sir, there is a what on your roof?"
Me:  "A sea lion.  Can you come and help him out?"
Police:  "OK Sir." Pause....laughter "We'll send someone over right away." (incredulously)

Meanwhile, I snap some more photos of the little guy.  My roommate is up and our neighbor comes to check it out too.  I think, maybe this guy can be my friend?  Maybe he can live in my bathtub like the 1994 classic movie "Andre?"  We'd hang out all the time and people would respect us.  If they didn't we would escape on a wild adventure...

That didn't happen, rather, a guy in an animal control truck rolls up.  Before he goes up the stairs, Andre, I mean the seal, climbs up on the railing and looks like he's gonna jump! 

 

 

We try to talk him down but he looks like he's just showing off.  Moments later, Andre gets put in a box.  Andre looks bummed.  Andre gets taken to the Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach, to get checked out before being released.


Goodbye Andre.  Next time you visit I promise I won't call animal control on you again...

-Mike


Update 4PM PST April 23rd:

Wow, people are loving this story around the world!  I'm humbled by all this coverage:

KABC-TV Los Angeles


Huffington Post
WATCH: Sea Lion Found On Newport Beach Rooftop

Sky News (UK)
How Did Sea Lion Get On The Flipping Roof?

Herald Sun (Australia)
Sea lion pup found on rooftop deck in California

NBC Los Angeles
Flipper on the Roof


OC Register
Video shows baby sea lion on Newport roof

UPDATE: Join Fiddler's Facebook Fan Page


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Comments:

Esther Hahn
April 22nd 2010 at 3:41 pm
ahhhhh soooo cute!!! how the heck did he get there?!
Jeremy
April 22nd 2010 at 2:13 pm
sounded like a lifeyo ploy, but the video don't lie! quite a story to wake up to
Mike
April 22nd 2010 at 4:27 pm
It was so strange, he just climbed up two flights of stairs!
Joy
April 23rd 2010 at 12:18 am
I am happy he will be ok. Happy ending...
Sarah
April 23rd 2010 at 1:30 am
He should have gone in your bathtub! Poor little guy . . . glad he's safe. and now he's famous!
Jessica
April 23rd 2010 at 3:38 am
You made our news out here in Denver! Andre is too cute.
Newporter
April 23rd 2010 at 5:20 am
Nice story. But FYI, that's not a seal. That's a California sea lion.
Marta
April 23rd 2010 at 7:14 am
Lovely! But how did he GET upthere?
Bill Leys-The Deck Expert
April 23rd 2010 at 7:26 am
Great story! Poor little guy, he must have been looking for some seal hotties! Give him a beer and a chaise lounge to hang in... thanks for the smiles
Mo
April 23rd 2010 at 7:57 am
"I think, maybe this guy can be my friend? Maybe he can live in my bathtub like the 1994 classic movie "Andre?" We'd hang out all the time and people would respect us." I just died laughing. Forwarding this to all my friends. What a trip!
Alicia
April 23rd 2010 at 8:10 am
Awwww. I probably would have taken a hundred photos before I called the cops. I saw the video and post last night but I just saw it again on Good Morning America. Congrats.
Finny
April 23rd 2010 at 10:13 am
I saw the article on the LA times. Seriously, what a cute face. :) Good lookin' out!
hayley
April 23rd 2010 at 8:57 am
your little guy is on Yahoo news! they say his name is fiddler! and hes on various other bits ive seen, (i live in the UK btw! its travelled that far!!!)
hayley
April 23rd 2010 at 10:59 am
heres the link btw! forgot to include it before! http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20100423/tod-how-did-sea-lion-get-on-the-flipping-870a197.html
Ryan
April 23rd 2010 at 9:53 am
Dude! A baby seal was in our garage on 43rd a month or two ago! Sleeping under my neighbor's car... how it got in there was a mystery... so gnarly!!
rachel
April 23rd 2010 at 12:01 pm
What a cutie . I wish I could have put him in my pool.(Its salt water ) What a wonderful experience. I'm jelous . Thank you for such a wonderful story . You never know he may come back to visit you again
Debbie
April 23rd 2010 at 10:37 am
So happy it's Safe and how adorable! Great job caring for it!
TyWright
April 23rd 2010 at 12:38 pm
Jealous all the way up here in Vancouver. Our baby seals never venture out like that.
heguiberto
April 23rd 2010 at 12:48 pm
what a fabulous experience for you the Andre. very cool post! Heguiberto http://weirdcombinations.com/
Ancient Chinese Secret
April 23rd 2010 at 11:07 am
I think he was looking for "Seal" Beach not Newport ;)
Lindsey
April 23rd 2010 at 11:08 am
He's soooo adorable=) Glad you made a small article of the baby seal and documented it. It's a keeper!=)
Mishi
April 23rd 2010 at 1:22 pm
Aaaw all he wanted to do was catch some rays, BBQ some shrimp and raid your cooler and you call animal control? Not cool ;-) (kidding) Glad he's safe and on his way back to his aqua-buddies!!!
Jude
April 23rd 2010 at 11:25 am
He's cute! :)
Alexis
April 23rd 2010 at 1:59 pm
OMG So beautiful. I hope hes ok & goes back to the ocean soon!
Shireen
April 23rd 2010 at 2:02 pm
Aw that was nice. Is Mike the guy who's apt it was? I think the seal really liked him.
Julie
April 23rd 2010 at 2:06 pm
That's the cutest thing I've seen in some time. What a great story!
Leo
April 23rd 2010 at 2:19 pm
Great story!! :))) Baby seal is fine now? You had more news of him? Regards, Leonardo (Brazil)
Sherri
April 23rd 2010 at 12:35 pm
Love Andre!!
StephAnnDLC
April 23rd 2010 at 12:59 pm
I'm forever traumatized by educational videos on poaching these little guys. I'm glad this particular baby is safe and that people like you exist to give animals the proper assistance. After all, we're all part of the same world and to be honest, we are kind of trespassing on what was always their h
sarah
April 23rd 2010 at 3:56 pm
woohoo! soo cute!
Sandra
April 23rd 2010 at 6:42 pm
Glad to hear that the Seal pup is safely at the Marine Mammal Center in Laguna. They will save its life! Great heart warming story. Thanks!
Riot Nrrrdâ„¢
April 23rd 2010 at 7:50 pm
Wow, I used to live on 28th, 29th, 31st and 33rd & Seashore and never had cute visitors like this! Good thinking to get the video camera - glad he didn't jump!
Newporter
April 23rd 2010 at 10:24 pm
I'm as taken with the story as the next person; it's undeniably cute. But come on folks. That just isn't a seal. That's a sea lion. Calling a sea lion a seal is like calling a donkey a horse or like calling a tsunami a tidal wave. They just aren't the same thing. And the differences are ve
Kelly
April 23rd 2010 at 10:20 pm
Awe, so cute! He wanted to join you for "refreshment," Mike! This is news in Canada, too!
Ellen
April 24th 2010 at 12:04 am
BEST BLOG POST EVER! One question though... HOW THE HELL DID HE GET UP THERE?!?!!?!
Nancy
April 24th 2010 at 6:16 am
Awwww...great story...and you sound like a great bloke...regards from Lancashire (it's in the UK) :-)
Aleksandr
April 27th 2010 at 12:55 am
Why in the WORLD would you call animal control on him???
cyn
April 27th 2010 at 1:52 pm
i want him!
SAS
April 28th 2010 at 3:36 am
Great story! Poor little guy, he must have been looking for some seal hotties! Give him a beer and a chaise lounge to hang in... thanks for the smiles Medyum
Ironsides
April 28th 2010 at 1:33 pm
Make a nice hat!
Sarantx
April 28th 2010 at 11:41 pm
What a cute little guy! Great story! Texas doesn't get to see any sea lions, much less on a roof. Thanks for posting this!
alie saaed
April 29th 2010 at 3:16 am
hllo
laura
April 29th 2010 at 1:38 am
Im just glad that he was not hurt in any way, because I am an animal lover at best wild life@sealife . that was a precious picture of the baby pup seal.and that he was relocated to his destination back to the sea.
iamhuman
April 29th 2010 at 8:55 am
Seals and sea lions are not the same species. This is a sea lion. Much different from a seal.
gluefuut
April 29th 2010 at 9:04 am
I was surfing at river jetties a few days before fiddler went up to your sun deck, little fiddler was hanging out in the shorebreak with me. I was kinda worried about him being so small but he looked like he was OK.
Mark
April 29th 2010 at 10:21 am
Are they good to eat? No j/k, thanks for caring enough to not hurt him or kill him. Our war on nature needs to stop.
LDL
April 29th 2010 at 12:25 pm
Glad to see there was a happy ending to this story. Thank you for caring for Mother Nature's animals.
LouEllen
April 29th 2010 at 12:26 pm
... WONDER HOW DID HE GET ON THE ROOF - WILL WONDERS NEVER CEASE - BUT HE DID LOOK SORT OF CUTE - ALL HOUSED UP IN THE CAGE - THAT WAS PROVIDED FOR HIM ( LETS CALL HIM - MARTY ) AND THEN THERE WAS HIS ( 15-MINUTES OF FAME ) BUT DO NOT THINK WE HAVE HEARD THE LAST OF ( LITTLE MARTY ) WHEN HE ARRIVED
Rai*
April 29th 2010 at 12:32 pm
Ohhh how cute!!!! I wonder how he got there and all by himself without anyone noticing him? This guy must live within a really close proximity to the beach. I'm glad the little guy is okay though.
JOAN
April 29th 2010 at 1:11 pm
HOW THE HECK DID HE GET THERE
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