Meet the adorable seal and rubber duckie duo stealing hearts on Instagram
Boston, Massachusetts - A harbor seal named Reggae from the New England Aquarium in Boston is causing quite a stir on social media with his yellow rubber duckie.
Whether relaxing at the edge of the pool or in the middle of the water, the rubber duck never leaves Reggae's side.
The aquarium team posted a cute video on Instagram so the entire internet would be able to enjoy the duo's sweet antics.
"Ohhh to be a harbor seal with his rubber duckie!" aquarium workers joked under the post.
This seal's friendship with his duckie isn't just adorable. In fact, there is a deeper meaning behind the video.
"This rubber duckie is part of a cognitive behavior we call 'find it!'" the aquarium explained.
"Reggae is trained to search his exhibit for the duck, helping him learn to discriminate between different objects. It also adds variety to his playtime by introducing an item that isn’t usually part of his environment, supporting both enrichment and learning."
Animal lovers can't get enough of the sweet pair. The video has generated nearly 70,000 likes since it was first posted.
Reggae the seal is "incredibly intelligent"
Reggae has received widespread praise for being both cute and brainy.
"Marine mammals are incredibly intelligent. Reggae, of course, is no exception," Patty Leonard, the aquarium’s associate curator of pinnipeds, told Boston.com.
In the wild, the seals would search for food, Leonard explained.
"They are curious by nature, so we can really harness that experience with their training," she said.
Cover photo: Collage: Screenshots/Instagram/newenglandaquarium
