Hoover (seal)

Hoover was an orphaned harbor seal discovered in Maine in 1971. He gained fame for his unusual ability to imitate human speech, uttering phrases like "Hello there!" and "Get outta here!".

Hoover was taken in by George and Alice Swallow in their home. As he grew, he developed a unique vocalization resembling a gruff human voice. The Swallows eventually donated Hoover to the New England Aquarium in Boston, where he became a major attraction.

Scientists and linguists studied Hoover's vocalizations, noting that he used his nasal passages and throat to produce the human-like sounds. It's believed he learned to mimic the voices of people he heard regularly, particularly George Swallow.

Hoover lived at the New England Aquarium until his death in 1985. He remains a celebrated example of animal vocal learning and adaptation, and a reminder of the complex cognitive abilities of marine mammals. His story has been documented in books and documentaries, solidifying his place in popular culture as "the talking seal." He is considered to be one of the few documented cases of a non-human mammal acquiring the ability to mimic human speech in such a convincing manner.