SnoDayz

© 2019 Pam Ferris-Olson

SnoDayz alludes to the significant number of tired and weak harp seals that in the winter of 2019 came to rest along the coast of Maine, a state whose motto is “The Way Life Should Be”. While harp seals typically are found in the waters of the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean, some migrate south in the winter. They stay hydrated by consuming snow and ice; however, in 2019 the coastal region had reduced levels of snowfall and higher than usual temperatures, as much as twenty degrees above normal. Marine mammal experts speculated that the unusual weather conditions led to the seals’ poor health. Winter snow and temperature data for 2019 are incorporated in the sand castle.