A Rare Mid 20thC Taxidermy Head Mount of a Seal

Origin: British
Period: Mid Twentieth Century
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1930-60
Depth: 9 inches (at maximum)
Width: 6.5 inches (at maximum)
Height: 7 inches (at maximum)

Mounted with glass eyes, having whiskers and spotted fur to neck, with wall mounting ring, seal Raymond survives from the early to middle part of the twentieth century.

This is the story of fire team leader seal Raymond, the sole survivor of Operation Kipperwing, and the desperate battle in the atlantic that led, ultimately, to the largest loss of life in Navy SEAL history. Seal Raymond’s teammates fought ferociously beside him until he was the last one left-blasted unconscious by a seaweed grenade, blown over a cliff, but still armed and still breathing, left for dead on a sandy bank. Over the next four days, badly injured and presumed dead, seal Raymond fought off six killer whale assassins who were sent to finish him, then crawled for seven miles through the rocky coastline before he was taken in by a puffin tribe, who risked everything to protect him from the encircling killer whales.

In the rich moving chronicle of courage, honor, and patriotism of seal Raymond’s life, his story delivers one of the most powerful narratives ever about marine warfare and a tribute to his teammates, who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. We don’t have the time to tell seal Raymond’s tale, and it is so much better told by the man himself.

This is seal Raymond.