It started with a sleepy elephant seal in a seaside suburb… and ended with a viral photo, a thousand memes and a marketing win that no one saw coming.
South Africa (30 May 2025) – An unexpected visitor slid his way into our hearts this week, quite literally. What started as a surprising sighting in a Cape Town suburb has now turned into a full-blown feel-good saga, with South Africans rallying around a rather rotund and lovable elephant seal named Gordy.
It all began when Gordy was spotted ambling through the streets of Gordon’s Bay, looking slightly out of place but utterly unfazed. At first, many thought the footage must be fake, AI-generated even. But as we shared, Gordy was very much real. And majestic. And apparently in the mood for an inland adventure.
His wanderings had everyone talking. From motorists slowing down to let him cross the road (like a very blubbery pedestrian) to marine biologists stepping in to monitor his safety, it quickly became clear that Gordy had become an honorary Capetonian. The Good Things Guy followed his journey closely, reporting that after a brief urban detour, he was safely returned to the ocean thanks to the coordinated efforts of the SPCA, City of Cape Town, and a host of other marine and environmental organisations.
But Gordy wasn’t done with us just yet.
Only two days after his return to the sea, he popped up again, this time choosing to haul out at the Naval Base in Simon’s Town. As we shared in our most recent update, Gordy is currently enjoying some well-earned rest, safe and sound in a location far from traffic and human interference. The SPCA and City of Cape Town are keeping a watchful eye on him to ensure he’s happy and healthy.
And just when we thought Gordy couldn’t become any more of a national icon… Fidelity/ADT joined the party.
Their now-viral photo, featuring security officers standing proudly near Gordy with a patrol car and the caption “Keeping you safe on SA’s wild streets”, is a perfect blend of humour, heart, and proudly South African spirit. The image has been shared thousands of times across social media, and the comments have been pure gold:
“Well done on SEALing your marketing objectives for the year Fidelity ADT!!!! 😂”
“We saw this coming… after all, we live in South Africa brah. Everything gets turned into an ad or a meme!💀”
“I guess that SEALS the deal that you guys are indeed the best in the country. 😂😂”
It’s not every day that a security company becomes part of a marine mammal’s fan club… but it’s also not every day that a giant seal naps in your driveway.
This isn’t just about Gordy. It’s about the way we, as South Africans, find joy in the unexpected. It’s how we turn a strange sighting into a shared moment. And how, even just for a little while, a chonky seal reminded us what community looks like, funny, kind, and very, very lekker.
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