Commander's arrival comes with a bit of bittersweet: To make room for this breeding adult male, some of our younger males were transported to the Seattle Aquarium. Leu and Flaherty traced Commander's path in reverse out to Seattle and are settling into their new exhibit. The marine mammal trainers at the Seattle Aquarium are already very enamored with these smart, charismatic guys and report that they are doing really well.
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| Leu behind the scenes of the marine mammal center |
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| Flaherty shows off his handsome flippers |
Leu and Flaherty were always close companions—almost since day one—so it made sense that they would go together. Of course, we miss "the boys" dearly. But part of creating a genetically healthy populations of Northern fur seals means sometimes the animals must move around to accommodate breeding pairs. The hope is that Commander and Ursula will have pups someday.
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| Flaherty was born at the New England Aquarium in 2012. Look at what a chunkster he was as a pup! |
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| Leu is always up for some fun, including trick or treating for some fish. |
If you're ever in Seattle, pop in to visit old friends like Leu and Flaherty at the Seattle Aquarium!
Here are some classic blog posts about the boys—Leu and Flaherty:
- See how much Leu grew while living at the New England Aquarium
- Wonder if Leu will miss all the snow we got this winter?
- Leu is a smart fellow who learned how to toss a Frisbee
- See how Flaherty disrupted training programs back in the day
- Watch frisky Leu and Flaherty romp on exhibit
- Leu and Flaherty, at it again
- Flaherty's birth announcement...awwwwwww
