First it was Taylor Swift and now, Cape Cod has been dumped by Wasabi. The weaning gray seal arrived on Nantucket back in March as medical tourist seeking treatment for injuries caused by careless humans in the form of ghost gear. He was greeted at Nobadeer Beach by the Massachusetts Environmental Police, who kindly disentangled him from the clutches of a multifilament plastic rope that was wrapped around his neck. With help from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Wasabi was taken to the National Marine Life Center in Buzzards Bay where he was treated for "infection, entanglement injury, swollen flippers, malnourishment, and dehydration." After two and a half months of top-notch rehab, fresh fish and constant doting, the gray guy was ready to make either Cape Cod or Nantucket his home. Alas, after learning about the area's annual influx of summer tourists, Nantucket's rapidly expanding year-round population and the perpetual high cost of housing across the Cape and islands, he quickly altered his plans. On June 4, Wasabi thanked his caregivers, raised a flipper to the fans on Scusset Beach State Reservation and went wild.
· Wasabi's Release [SaveMarineLife/YouTube]
· Wasabi's Return Home [National Marine Life Center/Facebook]
· Taylor Swift Dumps Cape Cod, Walks Away With an $870K Profit [Curbed Cape Cod]
· Nantucket fastest-growing in the state [The Inquirer & Mirror]