There will be one less spectator at the Head of the Charles this weekend. The curious harbor seal that was cruising about the Charles River basin this week has found its way back to Boston Harbor, thanks to quick thinking from the lock keepers with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. (Check out previous sightings of the seal in this blog post, complete with video of the seal interrupting a sailing practice!)





Knowing that the seal was looking to find its way back to the harbor, the lock keepers had been keeping an eye out for the freshwater visitor. Sure enough, the seal found its way into the locks around 2 p.m. on Friday afternoon.


The locks are just east of the Zakim Bridge and the TD Banknorth Garden

The gate keepers kept the seal in the locks for less than an hour so that Aquarium staff could make sure that it was still healthy and alert. Then it was time to release the floodgates. With a quiet splash and a ripple, the seal slipped into Boston Harbor through the open locks.

Take a look at this video of the seal during the short time it was still in the locks!



The seal definitely made waves in the local media, too. Check out its moment in the spotlight on NECN , Boston.com here and here, WCVB Channel 5 and USA Today. Look for the healthy swimmer on the local news tonight, too!