9/21/12

Fitness Friday: Learning to Swim

Our youngest fur seal is over two months old now! Oh how time flies. And Flaherty is getting bigger, stronger and learning new stuff every day, like swimming. Take a look to see how he's working on his stroke.



Flaherty and his mom Ursula still enjoy quiet time behind the scenes, but they are logging some very cute hours in the exhibit. Keep an eye out for the little guy during your next visit, you might get lucky!


Picture originally posted here.

9/14/12

Fitness Friday: Playtime with Reggae

Even the harbor seals get in on the activities on Fitness Friday. Reggae here is stretching his flippers with a toy. It looks like he's doing a workout with a medicine ball. Or is he playing tetherball with himself? Ah, you decide, just take a look.


Harbor seals may not gallop about their exhibit like the sea lions and fur seals. With shorter flippers, they get around in a much different way. (Compare the two modes of locomotion on land in this post. They even swim in different ways!)


But that doesn't mean the harbor seals aren't active. See how they can dance in the water, do crunches while on land and spring out of the water for a harbor seal high-five!

9/7/12

Fitness Friday: Teaching the youngsters

There's a lot that kids can learn from their parents, such as healthy eating habits and making exercise a part of every day. Ursula is already teaching her little guy Flaherty how to get around the New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center with graceful swimming strokes and casual lopes around the deck.


Visit the seals and sea lions at the Aquarium and you might catch a glimpse of this youngster swimming with his pal, Leu, or getting some good advice from his mom.