Could everyone write one simple essay about something that once happened in Saltaire…that they saw or were a part of…and put it on one big website? Somebody should collect a lot of stories before we all forget. Otherwise it is like a line in “On The Beach” : The history of the war that now would never be written.” -(JO'H)

Sunday, April 24, 2011

The Return of a Seal to View LePapillon on Easter Recalls Fire Island's Centuries Old Reputation as "Seal Island"


Some were surprised to see a seal drop by to check out the wreck of LePapillon on Easter Sunday ("The Easter Seal" pic above by Liz Kelly).

Well, we here at Saltaire38.blogspot.com, who take our Fire Island history seriously, are not surprised. If fact, we were kind of expecting it.
We have been telling you for weeks now that LePapillon is just one more wreck in a centuries old tradition on Fire Island.
Seals have an even older history on the beach. Long before it was called "Fire Island" (and probably before there were lots of Europeans to wreck ships) the Indians called the beach "Seal Island" for its abundance of seals. So the question to ask is not "where did this Easter seal come from?" but "where have all the seals gone?"

Citation for "Seal Island" as an aboriginal name for Fire Island:
Link Here

And you might know that the CELTS have great stories about returning seals. "Seal Island" translates into IRISH as "ROAN INISH."
See this trailer: Youtube

See this review:Review

Tugster's Take on our seal pal: Tugster: A Waterblog

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

tugster's take: http://tugster.wordpress.com/2011/04/24/ashore-5/

Anonymous said...

A SEAL on the beach?? Was it of the Pinniped or US Navy species??

Not withstanding the Easter Seal - I had an actual bunny(as in Easter/Bugs) in ny backyard early Easter morning.

Richardinhingham said...

Here are the earliest photos of Le Pappillon on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.642304579513.2152252.20201849