Trying 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!

Perfect!

Ursula (foreground) and Chiidax and Kitovi (L to R behind her)

Note the two lumps of sea lion lazing in the deeper part of the pool

In the background you can see the sea lions, Zoe and Sierra, logging at the surface. Sea lions sometimes sleep in the water but they don't jug handle. Sometimes they "sail" with a front and/or rear flipper straight up in the air while their body floats. Another difference between the sea lions and fur seals: blubber versus fur. The sea lions have a nice layer of blubber to stay warm, and the fur seals rely on their super-thick fur coats—even when wet.

When they're not relaxing in the pool, these animals are definitely a rambunctious crew. Check out some of their antics in these blog posts:

• The sea lions even make eating peas look like fun 
• Silly Sierra likes to stick her tongue out 
• Like many of us, the sea lions like to play in the sprinkler 
• And when you can't handle the heat, think about all the snow the seals played in last winter 

It's official. Our newest Northern fur seal pup is ticking up the energy level at the New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center. After spending some time behind the scenes for quiet introductions to his new neighbors, Chiidax is now exploring the main exhibit. And that means lots more splashing and playing and jousting and bluffing and lots of fun to watch! (Seriously, come see! Buy your timed ticket online.)

Chiidax is a seal with a lot of spunk.

Chiidax first padded into the exhibit alongside his buddy Kit on a snowy afternoon last month. All the trainers were excited to see how he would react.

Chiidax (left) is much chunkier than Kit (right)

Since Chiidax was dropped off at a rescue facility in Alaska last year, he'd only been swimming in small indoor pools. This was the first time he'd seen such a large swimming space! Kit plunged right into the pool, but Chiidax wasn't so sure. Instead, he loped about the deck, inspecting the new sights and smells and interacting with people through the glass.

Aquarium staff member Tom Doan was one of the first to greet Chiidax through the glass

Left: Chiidax sniffs Jenny's hat (She'll be lecturing about caring for the marine mammals on May 13!) Right: Kathy tries to entice Chiidax to explore more of the exhibit. Nope.

With fur as thick as a Northern fur seal, near-zero temperatures and snow storms pose no problem for the Northern fur seals at the New England Aquarium. In fact, they can be quite fun.

Kitovi and Chiidax, our newest additions to the Aquarium's Northern fur seal colony, are currently behind the scenes, but this did not stop these two 6 month old seals from enjoying their very own snow day! While humans everywhere stayed home to brave the storm, these two babies, especially Chiidax, discovered how much fun piles of frosty flakes can be.

Kitovi

Chiidax, a rescued Northern fur seal from Alaska, has grown quite a bit since arriving at the Aquarium a couple months ago—you can hardly recognize him!

Kitovi and Chiidax

Watch how Kitovi and Chiidax play in the snow.  At first they don’t quite know what to make of the giant pile of snow, but they quickly figure out that it’s fun new toy.



Kitovi and Chiidax are not the only seals to enjoy a good snowy romp, check out some of the antics of Leu and Ursula.

Stay warm everyone!

-Marie