Great Opening Paragraph: On Monk Seals?

monk sealHere’s the opening paragraph from a New York Times magazine article published in May of this year, about monk seals. What a great way to open the piece:

The Hawaiian monk seal has wiry whiskers and the deep, round eyes of an apologetic child. The animals will eat a variety of fish and selfish, or turn over rocks for eel and octopus, then haul out on the beach and lie there most of the day, digesting. On the south side of Kawai one afternoon, I saw one sneeze in its sleep: it’s complex body shuddered, then spilled again over the sand the way a raw, boneless chicken breast will settle on a cutting board. The seals can grow to 7 feet long and weigh 450 pounds. They are adorable, but also a little gross: the Zach Galifianakises of marine mammals.

Although I doubt one of the seals will have a role in Hangover 4.
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PeterUbel