Maineartists/sandbox

In 2014, the documentary The Seal Who Came Home aired on PBS. It was narrated by Allan Corduner and showed archival footage of Harry Goodridge and Andre.

Two children’s books have been published about Goodridge and Andre: Andre the Famous Harbor Seal by Fran Hodgkins (2003) and The Adventures of Andre the Seal by Beth Herman (2016).

The film Andre was released in 1994. It was directed by George T. Miller and stars Tina Majorino and Keith Carradine.

Goodridge died on April 6, 1990. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea in Rockport Harbor.

In later life, Andre suffered from cataracts. Veterinarian Victor J. Steinglass stated he believed Andre made his annual swim up the New England coast from Cape Cod in his final year in almost complete darkness. "He obviously made it almost blind this year," he said. After 25 summers spent in Rockport with Goodridge, Andre died in July 1986 due to an apparent fight with another male seal. He was discovered eight miles from the harbor in Leland’s Cove, Rockland. Goodridge was called to identify the body. According to a newspaper article, "Goodridge said he and Steinglass confirmed it was Andre by the seal’s size and its scars." Andre was buried behind the Goodridge home in Rockport, Maine. In 1976, a statue of Andre was sculpted by artist Jane Wazey and dedicated in Rockport harbor. In a 1986 interview Goodridge said Andre’s pen was still in the Rockport harbor water. "I guess people are still going down, thinking Andre is still there, or at least they go down to look," Goodridge said. "I keep right away from it. I don’t want to get into any conversations."

In 1979, Maine Governor Joseph E. Brennan complained to the Maine Associated Press that Goodridge and Andre were receiving too much publicity. The statement received such public backlash that Brennan was forced to release a formal apology during his 1982 re-election campaign. "I consider Andre a supporter," Brennan said. "And I found out that if you don’t give Andre his just priority, it will come home to get you." The Goodridges' youngest daughter, Toni, requested Andre be the ring bearer at their wedding in 1981. "The minister really questioned us about that," Toni said, "He made us fill out a psychological questionnaire before he would marry us."

Goodridge teamed up with American writer Lew Dietz to write a book about his life with Andre the seal. It was published by Down East Books in 1975 and has remained in print ever since. Goodridge did not charge spectators to watch Andre perform. He did pass a fish bucket around for tips; which kept Andre fed with fish. "We didn’t charge for the show, never," Goodridge said. "We passed the hat, but I could never charge for the show." By 1985, Goodridge no longer received any royalties from the hardcover or paperback issues of his book ‘’A Seal Called Andre’’, even though both had sold over 100,000 copies by that time. A later children’s version rendered Goodridge a meager $1,400 in sales. "It’s nothing I could retire on, but it helps with expenses," he said. Andre’s popularity produced T-shirts, tote bags, postcards along with other merchandise in local gift shops; yet Goodridge saw none of the profits.

Goodridge kept Andre in a "floating tent" in the Rockport Harbor during the summer while performing his tricks for an estimated 25,000 gathered spectators. The seal was allowed his freedom during the winter months between November and March, but due to his habitual nature of causing havoc with area fishermen and their boats, in 1973 when Andre was 12 years old, Goodridge decided to transport him to aquariums in Boston and Connecticut for the winter months. In April, Goodridge would travel back down and see Andre off on his swim back up the coast to Rockport harbor. Sometimes it would take Andre as few as three days to make the journey, while other years it would take as long as six days.

On May 16, 1961, Goodridge found his third orphaned seal pup which he named Andre, after Andre Cowan, a Tahitian trainer at Marineland. His intention for the seal was to train him to be his diving companion. Andre lived with the Goodridges for seven months out of the year, splashing in the bathtub, sledding down the hill to the harbor, and watching his favorite television program Flipper with the children.

Harry Goodridge (January 4, 1916 – April 6, 1990) was an American harbormaster, professional scuba diver, tree surgeon and co-author of the book A Seal Called Andre: The Two Worlds of a Maine Harbor Seal.

Born in Massachussetts in 1916, Goodridge lived and worked in Rockport, Maine with his wife, Thalice Goodridge and their five children: a son and four daughters, Susan, Toni, Carol and Paula. Goodridge was well known in Rockport as a retired tree surgeon of 45 years.

Category:1916 births Category:People from Rockport, Maine