An Estonian seal-watching cruise company is using classical music to attract seals for its patrons. Inspired by a historical tale, Prangli Travel confirmed yesterday to local outlet ERR News that pumping classical music into the water seems to tempt the Baltic Sea’s largest mammals to the surface.

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“The rhythms and harmonies in classical music are calm and flowing,” said Prangli Travel guide Epp Libe.

“Seals are also very curious, and because it’s not a natural sound in the marine environment, it draws them in.”

Estonia’s Malusi Islands are home to the main habitat of grey seals in the Gulf of Finland, where this connection between seals and music is enshrined in its history. On its website, Prangli Travel cites family memoirs from island Aksi, which tells the tale of local brothers Aleksander and Gustav Askberg. Sailing to Finland on an 1894 cargo trip, they played violin and harmonium to keep themselves occupied during the journey and soon discovered a group of seals following their boat and vocalising along.

Thanks to this story, yearly seal-watching trips have become a popular...