Way back this winter (note the snow, ugh), Chacoda the harbor seal gave visitors a clinic on porpoising. Porpoising is when a seal (or any marine animal) bursts out of the water, usually in a graceful arc. It's a skill that this harbor seal has down pat! Since it's never too late to share awesome video, check out this slow-motion clip of Chuck getting some air.

 

Chacoda was born on June 8, 1995. He'll be 20 next month! He is part of our spotted family of seals. You can distinguish him from other seals in the exhibit by looking for the dark spots all along his belly and his large nostrils (especially compared to his sister Cayenne, who has more petite features).

That face!

Let's air things out and see how marine animals leap out of the water:

• The sea lions make it look easy
• Sierra has learned how to get some serious air
• Sometimes the rockhopper penguins get in a porpoising frenzy
• A while back we practiced synchronized porpoising with the harbor seals
• The seals and sea lions do a lot of porpoising when they play
• And even humpback whales can breach the water's surface!