Staten Island Seal Now "Swimming With The Fishes"?

Photo via WCBS

The two men who rescued the seal off Staten Island yesterday, detectives Frank Pellegrino and Matthew Sherman of the harbor unit and scuba team, are talking about their 5 minute encounter with the struggling pup.

They say he was stuck in monofilament fishing wire attached to a mooring buoy, where he flopped around nervous and exhausted (it's believed the seal was caught there for nearly 24 hours).

Once his heroes arrived, the 40-lb seal began nipping them; Pellegrino recalls, "He tried to bite us not realizing we were trying to help him." In the end, no humans or animals were hurt—and Pellegrino adds, “Once he got free, he swam with the fishes as they say in New York." Um, isn't that sort of what they say in the mafia... when someone's been murdered? Someone please check on this seal (who is insanely adorable)!

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By Jen Carlson in News on March 18, 2010 9:00 AM

Comments [rss]

Amanda Harletsch

Poor sea creatures swimming in such polluted waters.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

Thank you detectives for rescuing this pup but who the hell left that fishing wire?

Spirit of 76

Obviously, the seal has read Gothamist, hence his dislike for NYPD and dread for what they might do to him.

What are you going to do with Jen Carlson and twentysomethings nowadays? They don't know that much American culture. They never saw The Godfather.

pinball29

Before releasing the trapped animal, police issued tickets for illegal swimming, resisting, and assault on a police officer.

longacre

Was that before or after they Tasered him?

ASSTACKLER

It was later learned that this seal was a big fan of Jersey Shore and was trying to find Snooki so they could go 'clubbing'.

DarkGemini

I see what you did there.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

No, it's sleep with the fishes when someone is murdered.

JenChungsBaby

Seriously. I wonder more about Carlson every day.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

Jen is probably not street. She's a newbie.

paulie

What street do you still hear "sleeps with the fishes" on?

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

Avenue U, when I lived there for a year as a small kid. Lots of them told me that I would end up sleeping with the fishes.

Spirit of 76

You see? Even the people who grew up with felix knew about his aberrant love for animals went a little too far. That's really an image I didn't need to imagine. Although this gives new meaning to the term, "bedwetting."