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Speaker 1: Yea. Hello everyone, and welcome to the Animal Tales podcast,

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where you suggest the animal for us to write a

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story about. My name's Josephine, and I've got a brand

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new animal story here just for you. For a tiny fee,

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you can listen to all the Animal Tales stories advert

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free via our premium service, where you'll also get over

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eighty premium only stories. Find out more in the text

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that accompanies this episode. Jacqueline is from the USA and

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she would like a story featuring a seal. You can

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learn more about these creatures in the Animal Facts after

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the story. Now settle back, relax, and I'll begin the

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Seal of Maine. Jacqueline lived on a beach in Maine, USA.

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She'd lived on that same beach for her entire life.

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Granted that life wasn't a very long one, not yet,

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as she was only a few months old. But Jacqueline

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was happy. She liked her beach. She liked the rocks,

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pieces of driftwood, and the soft sand. She didn't need

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to go anywhere else. The beach was just right for her.

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She gladly stay there forever, but few things last forever.

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It will be time to leave soon, said her mother.

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You seal pups are old enough to cope with the

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ocean currants, and it's time you learn to fish for yourselves.

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Jacqueline was devastated leave, but when she asked, tomorrow is

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soon enough? Her mother replied The little seal, though really

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did not want to go. She wanted to stay right

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here on her beach, So Jacqueline decided to hide. If

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they couldn't find her, then she and perhaps all of

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the other seals would have to stay. And Jacqueline knew

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of the perfect hiding spot beside a pier. The other

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seals would never find her. There. Beside the pier was

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a small white boat, and it was into this that

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the little seal climbed, slipping beneath the lid of a

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box near the boat's rear. The box was full of

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beach towels, making it surprisingly comfy. Jacqueline was so cozy

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that in no time her eyelids began to feel heavy.

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She was asleep so deeply that she did not hear

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the humans board the boat and sail it out onto

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the wide open ocean. The first Jacqueline knew of it

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was realizing that she felt hot. It was an unpleasant,

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sticky sort of hot that she'd never felt before. Yawning,

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Jacqueline pushed open the box lid and had the surprise

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of her life. The beach was gone. The boat was

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now moored alongside others more than she could count, and

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there were humans everywhere, being loud and noisy, and somewhat

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on her boat too. The poor little seal didn't recognize

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anyone or anything. Alarmed, she slipped down the back of

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the boat and into the murky salt water. She had

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paddled at the sea shore, but had never properly swum before.

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But luckily for Jacqueline, swimming came naturally. She swam beneath

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the boats, urgently looking around her for signs of her beach.

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She could see the ocean getting shallower before her, so

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raced to the shore and hauled herself out of the water.

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It was a beach, but not her beach. It was

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very different to home. It was sunnier and warm, with

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lots of fine golden sand. Humans wore less clothing, nothing

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like the jackets and boots that she was used to seeing,

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it was obvious she wasn't in Maine anymore. Excuse me,

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Jacqueline said to a small scuttling crab. Where are we

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near Houston? The crab replied, that's in Texas. My beach

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is in Maine. Is that far from here? She asked,

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far laughed the crab, Maine is a long way from here,

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nearly two thousand miles. Two thousand, repeated Jacqueline quietly. How

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will I get home? You're a seal, aren't you, said

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the crab. You'll have to swim. Jacqueline gulped. What choice

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did she have. She couldn't stay here in Texas. Her

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mother and all the other seals would be worried about her.

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She would just have to be careful, take it slow,

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and follow the coastline until she saw her beach again.

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Taking a deep breath, Jacqueline dived into the water and

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began her journey. It was a very long swim. In time,

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Jacqueline passed by Louisiana, where she saw an alligator on

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the edge of a swamp. By the time she reached Florida,

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there are people everywhere. She was constantly dodging boats, water skis, surfboards,

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and divers, having to swim further out to sea to

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avoid them. In the deeper water, a dark shape emerged

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before her. Jacqueline's mother had warned her about sharks and orcas,

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and for a moment she felt a chill of fear.

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But as they drew closer, she saw that the strange

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creature had a warm smile instead of sharp teeth. Hello, stranger,

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said the man a tee. Are you lost? I am,

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Jacqueline sniffled. I need to get to Maine, but I'm tired,

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and there are too many people around here, and I'm

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getting further and further out to sea. Don't worry, little one,

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said the man tee, I can get you back on track.

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The manatee sank down to the ocean floor, further from

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the noise, joining a pod of similar looking creatures. They

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were slow but steady, guiding the little seal back to

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the coast. Jacqueline thought how similar to seals the manatees were.

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They reminded her of home. Safely past the busy Florida beaches,

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the manatees stopped to say farewell. I wish you could

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take me all the way to Maine. Jacqueline said, we

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prefer the warm water, said the friendly manatee. I'm afraid

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this is as far as we go, but you've done well.

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To get this far, you can make it, little seal.

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Jacqueline thanked them and went on her way, but it

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was still a long way to go Before she reached home.

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A storm blew in as she was passing North Carolina.

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The seas were high and the clouds dark. Sir Jacqueline

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took shelter upon a beach for three days. On the

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third night, she saw something splashing at the shoreline, pulling

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itself on to the sand. It appeared to be struggling.

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Sir Jacqueline went to help. It was a green turtle,

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and she looked exhausted. Have you been battered by the storm,

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Jacqueline asked a little smiled the turtle. I'm tired, but

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I still need to get out of the water and

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up the beach. Why Jacqueline asked, to lay my eggs,

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The turtle explained. She sounded quite out of breath. Maybe

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I can help, Jacqueline suggested. She shuffled behind the turtle

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and began to push. With the seal's help, the turtle

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managed to get a good distance across the sand, well

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away from the water. How's this, asked Jacqueline. It's just right,

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puffed the turtle. But now I need to dig a hole.

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Two of us can make easy work of that, said

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the seal, and began to use her flipper to scrape

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away the sand. By morning, the turtle had laid and

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buried her eggs. Even better, the storm had finally passed.

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Thank you, the turtle said gratefully. That was much easier

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with a friend. I'm glad I could help, said Jacqueline.

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Seals don't lay eggs. I've never seen anything like that before.

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The turtle laughed, then asked, is this your beach? No,

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my beach is in Maine, said Jacqueline. I think I

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may still have a long swim ahead of me. Then

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perhaps I could keep you company for a while, smiled

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the turtle. This was very welcome, and as they swam

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they shared stories of the sea. Just before New York,

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the turtle turned towards the deeper ocean and, with a

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wave of her flipper, said good bye. Oh. Though Jacqueline

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was sad to see her go, she sensed that she

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was close home. Now the water was colder, and the

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trees that grew upon the shore looked more familiar. All

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Jacqueline could think about was her beach and curling up

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alongside her mother. She swam on, and maybe it was

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because she was so busy picturing home that she felt

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to notice that she wasn't alone. A pod of killer

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whales had silently crept up behind her. My my, what's

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a little seal like you doing out here all on

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your own? One of the orcas asked, Do you need help?

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Asked another, We're very good at helping creatures in distress.

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Jacqueline opened her mouth to reply, but something about the

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glint in the orca's eyes, the way they were circling her,

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and their wide, toothy grins made her hesitate. Are your

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colony near by? Asked the first orca. We could guide

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you there if you tell us where. Jacqueline didn't want

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to do that. She was sure that she was in danger,

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and if they followed her, so was her colony. I'm fine,

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thank you, she said quickly. I don't need help. She

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tried to swim faster, but the orcas kept pace with

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her easily. It's no trouble, the second orca said, it's

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a big, wide ocean full of nasty, hungry mouths. We'll

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keep an eye on you until you're home. Jacqueline didn't

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know what to do. There was no escaping the orcas.

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She wished she had the manatees with her, or even

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the turtle. Most of all, she wished she had her mother,

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but she was all alone. One of the orcas moved

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in closely, nudging her with his tail. Come on, pips Creak,

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show us where all the juicy seals are hiding. Jacqueline

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was on the edge of despair when quite unexpectedly, the

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water around them erupted in fast moving shapes and splashing.

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A group of dolphins had come to her rescue, using

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their speed and strength to ram the orcas and filling

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the water with bubbles to confuse them. There were too

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many dolphins for the handful of orcas to cope with,

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and so under a barrage of strikes, the orcas gave up.

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There would be easier meals elsewhere. Now out of danger,

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Jacqueline let out a shaky breath. Thank you, she said,

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that was so scary. I didn't know what to do.

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You did well to be so brave in front of

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those predators, said one of the dolphins. But you were

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lucky we came along when we did. Where are your

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friends and family? Jacqueline told them her story and about

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how she was trying to get home to Maine. At

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the mention of her colony's beach, the dolphins perked up.

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We know that beach, smiled a dolphin. The seals are

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a sad bunch. I guess they must be missing you.

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Jacqueline felt her heart sore. They were still on the beach.

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She could see them again. The dolphins insisted on guiding

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her the rest of the way. She wasn't nearly as

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fast as they were, so her tail ached by the

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time they slowed down. Not that she cared. Jacqueline just

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wanted to be home. The dolphins swam with her into

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the shallows before heading on their way. This left Jacqueline

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to climb from the water and take in the sight

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of the familiar beach. Jacqueline reached her mother as she

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belly flopped across the wet sand. Is it really you, mum,

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Jacqueline replied, Mum, I'm home. They rolled in the sand,

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hugging one another tightly. Where have you been, her mother sobbed,

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two thousand miles away? Jacqueline answered, and I swam all

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the way home. The other seals had crowded round and

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were all fascinated by Jacqueline's grand adventure. And all this

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happened because you didn't want to leave this beach, said

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her mother, with a shake of her head. I really

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didn't want to go, Jacqueline admitted, But my journey took

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me to so many interesting places, and I met so

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many wonderful animals. Sure it was scary at times, but

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I learned that most of the animals are just like me.

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That it helps to be kind and to look out

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for animals with big teeth. Her mum was looking at

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her with wide eyes. I can't believe you did all that,

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she laughed. And now you've come home wiser and braver,

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she said. Perhaps we could all learn something from you.

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But the question is do you still want to stay

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on this beach? Jacqueline smiled, not all the time, she giggled. Not.

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Now I know what's out there. And so the very

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next day, the seal colony took to the ocean, and

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this time they did it together. Animal fact. The seal

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in our story is a gray seal, sometimes called the

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Atlantic seal or the horsehead seal. Male gray seals can

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reach over to meters that's seven and a half feet

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in length, with females being slightly smaller. Mothers give birth

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to a single pup covered in thick, soft fur, without

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a covering of blubber like their parents have. They need

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this fur to stay warm. Gray seals hunt for fish

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such as cod, herring, and flatfish, but will also go

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after lobsters and even octopus. Thank you for your suggestion, Jacqueline.

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We hope that you all enjoyed the story. Wherever you're

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listening in the world, don't forget to look at our

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Animal Tales books over on Amazon Great bedtime reading, especially

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if you've discovered the joy of reading for yourself. Make

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sure you join us next time for another great animal tail.

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Good Bye,