St Andrews Aquarium’s seal passes away
Laurel died on Wednesday morning at the Fife attraction, her home for almost 25 years.
The manager at St Andrews Aquarium says it is very sad day, as it said goodbye to one of its seals.
Laurel died this morning - she was brought to the Fife attraction back in 1991 and was one of the most popular animals there over the last 20 years. Manager, John Mace, says it has been a tough day for the staff and the other seals she lived with…
John Mace said: “Laurel was a true character and she packed a lot into her eventful life.
“Her tenacity, energy and ability to generate joy is something we will all miss here at the aquarium.
“We are desperately sad, but her memory will live on through the many, many stories the team here at the Aquarium can tell visitors about the adventures she had.”
Laurel’s death marks the end of an action-packed life where she brought smiles to the faces of many visitors to St Andrews Aquarium, after moving to St Andrews after being found as an abandoned seal pup near Oban in 1991.
She first hit the headlines when her follow seal, Hardy, was swept out to sea following a horrific storm that hit the Fife Coast in 2010. Laurel lived alone in her extensive salt water seapool for almost 18 months before bosses at the Aquarium sourced her a playmate, Togo. On Togo’s arrival, both seals were quarantined in separate adjoining pools but tenacious Laurel became an internet sensation after scaling a four foot fence to introduce herself.
Laurel was one of four resident seals in the aquarium and staff plan to remember her with a plaque in the enclosure where she lived for nearly 25 years.