tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81492265064835447252024-03-13T19:14:48.913-04:00Marine Mammal TrainersJenny Montague, Marine Mammal Trainer at New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts, and her colleagues share tales of daily life working with harbor seals and fur seals.NEAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096104970335431798noreply@blogger.comBlogger346125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-24525818110317137592016-06-06T12:45:00.000-04:002016-06-06T12:45:50.260-04:00Happy Birthday, Reggae!Reggae the harbor seal recently had a birthday, and the trainers celebrated with a layer "cake" of gelatin and fish. Visitors lucky enough to be by the front plaza exhibit even helped sing him happy birthday!
Reggae just turned 23, which is about middle age here at the Aquarium. His mother lived to be 40. Check out some of the other birthday seal-abrations we've had for the harbor and NEAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096104970335431798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-72502980832824368202016-05-20T13:48:00.001-04:002016-05-20T13:48:58.201-04:00Bubbles for KitoviOur California sea lions and Northern fur seals certainly love to play. Some of their favorites are getting a water massage, holiday festivities, and enjoying a snow day!
Kitovi, a 2-year-old Northern fur seal, likes to play with bubbles. Here she is getting a daily dose of fun with a cascade of chocolate scented bubbles!
NEAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096104970335431798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-14920262410956637572016-03-24T13:42:00.000-04:002016-05-09T20:12:05.115-04:00St. Patrick's Day Enrichment
The rescued sea lions at the Aquarium are a curious and energetic pair. So the trainers are always finding new ways to engage and stimulate Zoe and Sierra. When St. Patrick's day rolled around, they found the perfect activity: fun with green-shamrock-shaped jello!
The jello was made by our stellar volunteers out of plain gelatin and a plant-based food supplement called spirulina (peopleNEAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096104970335431798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-71268465632183895242016-02-13T16:52:00.001-05:002016-02-13T16:52:16.263-05:00Seals Love
For the wellbeing of the animals in our care, the seals and sea lions learn to participate in ultrasounds with our vet staff. One of the first steps in preparing for this is introducing them to any objects they may be unfamiliar with. A lap top looks very similar to our ultrasound machine, so introducing our younger animals to this through play is a great way to begin.
Kitovi on the NEAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096104970335431798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-56475353905208229102016-01-22T11:47:00.000-05:002016-01-22T11:47:21.706-05:00Snow Can Be Fun!As parts of the East Coast brace for a crippling blizzard, it's fun to distract ourselves by thinking about fun to be had wading in a big pile of snow. Recently the trainers scooped up the white stuff and provided a bit of frosty enrichment for the seals and sea lions in the marine mammal center.
Take a look!
The Northern fur seals are perfectly adapted to life in the snow. Their wildNEAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096104970335431798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-3044217383158427392016-01-05T07:43:00.000-05:002016-01-05T07:43:10.884-05:00Seal Smooches for a Happy 2016When the calendar flips, the new year is often marked with a few kisses from dear friends and family. Since the seals and sea lions are part of our family, the trainers had to share a couple pictures of the smooches that rang in this new year!
Commander and Vanessa: Big seals give big "kisses"!
For seals, a kiss means putting their face near or touching the face of a trainer. Not only Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-28431829039509043982015-12-31T13:20:00.000-05:002015-12-31T13:20:48.891-05:00No snow? No problem!
Some of the trainers were dreaming of a white Christmas. Unfortunately, 70 degree weather and snow don't mix, so we had to get creative. That's where the snow cone machine comes in! We had snowmen, bowls of snow with treats and snow showers.
The sea lions wanted in on the snow-making action. Watch!
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-48646837051172130282015-12-21T13:06:00.000-05:002015-12-21T13:06:30.912-05:00Picture perfectTrying to get that perfect shot of a young, curious fur seal can be a bit challenging at times. Chiidax, one of our 2 year old fur seals, is especially hard to catch on camera. I have a TON of clear shots up his nose, but just a couple straight on. Here are my 3 favorites...
I was proud it took only about 20 tries before I finally got one of him straight on!
PerfectUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-63454487411911271992015-12-14T15:43:00.001-05:002015-12-14T15:43:27.461-05:00Thanksgiving 2015 Cornucopia Fun Wrap UpSome people still have to work on major holidays, but it can still be a really fun day if you're a seal trainer! Even though the aquarium is closed to the public, the animals still need to be taken care of.
Starting bright and early, we clean and prep all the seals' diets for the day.
Some have a tough time adjusting to the earlier than usual schedule... wakie wakie, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-79654314454249897662015-12-01T13:52:00.001-05:002015-12-02T09:41:13.635-05:00Who's Who: True Seal EditionSince our Who's Who series about the fur seals and sea lions was so popular, here's another Who's Who blog, as requested! This time we are going to help you learn how to distinguish the true seals—the harbor seals—apart from one another.
Atlantic harbor seal (guess who!)
There are six Atlantic harbor seals in the exhibit in front of the Aquarium. They are part of a group of marine Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-60802232198682868232015-11-19T08:18:00.000-05:002015-11-19T08:18:00.132-05:00TBT Baby Kitovi with her baby pumpkinJust a little cuteness for TBT...enjoy!
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-27390057910187976492015-11-11T08:51:00.000-05:002015-11-11T15:09:22.127-05:00Who's Who: Individual Eared Seals Last time we went over some ways to distinguish the Northern fur seals from the California sea lions in our marine mammal center. Today, we're going to learn how to identify each animal.
Step two: Let's talk size
Once you know which species you're looking at, the next way to narrow it down is by size. Some of our animals are still growing, so this will change as they get older.
Let's NEAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096104970335431798noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-64348482766574641282015-11-10T08:53:00.000-05:002015-11-11T13:06:18.676-05:00Who's Who?: Eared Seal EditionHere's question we often get at the Marine Mammal Center: how do we tell our animals apart?
This blog is meant to help you do just that. Follow along for some helpful hints you can use next time you visit our flippered friends! The Marine Mammal Center exhibit is home to two California sea lions and seven Northern fur seals.
Step one: Which species?
Are you looking at a fur seal or a sea lion?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-22661275975487670002015-10-24T07:44:00.000-04:002015-10-24T07:44:00.073-04:00Molty time of year
Ahh, molt. The time of year where the fur balls are flying, the seals just want to sleep, and that glorious new coat is slowly, but surely, coming in. Molt season is different for each species and happens once a year.
Smoke mid-molt
At the New England Aquarium, Atlantic harbor seals molt July/August, California sea lions molt Sept/Oct, and the Northern fur seals molt Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-51445148989991357512015-10-22T10:36:00.000-04:002015-10-22T10:36:43.953-04:00A nose by any other name...
The Northern fur seals' scientific name is Callorhinus ursinus. Ursinus means "bear-like" and Callorhinus means "beautiful nose". So you could call them a beautiful-nosed bear and be somewhat correct! Well, I think their noses are pretty cute—what do you think? Do you have a favorite?
Ursula
Chiidax
Commander
Kitovi
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-61713138106470651902015-10-07T16:53:00.000-04:002015-10-08T16:41:59.992-04:00The sea lions are serious cuddlersSee the sea lions—sleeping and splashing. Plan a visit and buy ticket online—no service charge.
Don't you just love going through old pictures? We stumbled on this one of Zoe and Sierra having a powerfully cuddly nap and we got a laugh. These two had a whole dry deck in this behind-the-scenes area but they opted for the perch and pig-pile approach on the side ledge.
Zoe and Sierra know how toNEAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096104970335431798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-34371798011492866042015-09-08T10:40:00.000-04:002015-09-08T10:49:15.027-04:00Zoe Gets a MouthfulMore playtime with Zoe! More gushing water from a hose. But this time it's in slow motion. Enjoy!
By now you know that Zoe loves playing with hose so it's a regular activity during sea lion enrichment time. It appears that she enjoys the gush of the water in her mouth.
The hoses in the exhibit can run fresh and salt water, but the sea lions seem to prefer the feel of fresh water in their NEAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096104970335431798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-26619167694214658482015-08-09T07:09:00.000-04:002015-08-09T07:09:00.120-04:00Hosing Around With the Sea LionsWe've seen it before. The sea lions just love to play around with the hose.
Well, it happened again. During an enrichment session, the trainers offered a gushing hose to the boisterous sea lions and they took it and swam with it. Just watch...
While the pair was splashing around behind-the-scenes, Zoe created her own fountain. It's fun to watch her figure out how to hold the hose justNEAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096104970335431798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-62650309807080967772015-08-06T08:17:00.000-04:002015-08-06T10:46:11.248-04:00An Underwater KissReggae and his trainer Marie are working on some exciting—and quite refreshing—new skills this summer. Marie is working with him underwater! Here's a short clip to show you what it's like.
Of course, kissing is just a fun way for the trainer and seal to connect during a training session. But working with a seal underwater and helping him become comfortable with the trainer in this element NEAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096104970335431798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-39487547532078728012015-07-07T08:50:00.000-04:002015-07-07T08:50:00.147-04:00Three jugs and two lugs
Whether you're on a raft or a ring or simply bobbing at the surface, who doesn't love a relaxing float in the pool? When the seals and sea lions need a rest, they often take to the pool, too. And that's when you can see a really cool fur seal posture called jug handling. Holding their flippers together, away from their body resembles the handle of a jug or pitcher.
Exhibit A.
NEAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096104970335431798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-37680587918156746122015-06-27T11:29:00.000-04:002015-07-27T09:31:03.195-04:00Commander In Command
If you think Commander looks big in pictures, you should see him in real life! Plan a visit to the Aquarium to meet our newest fur seal. Save time and buy your tickets online.
As many of our visitors have already seen, our newest Northern fur seal is taking command of the marine mammal center! Commander arrived from the Seattle Aquarium via FedEx back in February. He underwent a routine NEAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096104970335431798noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-35224382178353906812015-06-19T13:50:00.000-04:002015-06-19T13:50:32.092-04:00Let's all go to the movies!You may have seen the rash of #PrattKeeping images being splashed across the internet this week.
A casual search for #Prattkeeping will turn up all sorts of trainers interacting with animals
It's an internet meme with trainers interacting with the animals in their care to resemble a scene from Jurassic World. In the scene, Chris Pratt is working with his velocoraptors. We've been loving the NEAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096104970335431798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-79601980628522197942015-06-03T13:31:00.000-04:002015-06-03T13:49:11.320-04:00Reggae is the birthday boyThis past weekend we celebrated the birthday of Reggae, the dashing Atlantic harbor seal!
On May 30, Reggae turned 22. While that may sound old, his mom lived to be 40 years old! Reggae's middle-age milestone was celebrated with special attention from the trainers, including some smooches from Lindsay.
Happy birthday, Reggae!
The next time you're visiting the Aquarium, or even NEAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096104970335431798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-86127558600810966302015-05-26T17:00:00.003-04:002015-05-26T17:00:37.574-04:00Artists in the newsDid you see the harbor seals in The Boston Globe this weekend? They were showing off their artistic abilities during a Paint with the Seals program. We do this enriching behavior with the seals regularly, something fun that the seals can learn. But now visitors can be part of the creative process by choosing colors and being there while the masterpiece is created!
Learn more about our PaintNEAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096104970335431798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8149226506483544725.post-32261265954513201692015-05-20T12:53:00.000-04:002015-05-20T12:53:13.811-04:00Slow Motion ElevationWay 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 JuneNEAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11096104970335431798noreply@blogger.com1