With the 116th Boston Marathon just around the corner, I am always inspired to get out there and start running again. This got me thinking about how the different types of seals at the Aquarium move around on land. Eared seals (all fur seals and sea lions) have adapted to move quickly and easily on land, while true seals, like our harbor seals aren't quite as agile. Why is that?

It all comes down to feet, or in this case, flippers. Fur seals and sea lions have larger flippers and can rotate their back flippers underneath their bodies so they have "four on the floor." Check out Ursula's flippers here.



Other seals have much shorter flippers and their back flippers stay behind them. To move on land they have to move on their bellies, similar to an inchworm.



Now lets see those flippers in action. (Be sure to listen carefully, you can hear Trumpet's belly slapping the ground when she moves!)



We have a few people from the Aquarium running the Marathon on Monday. We wish them and all of the participants the best of luck!

And don't forget, next Friday, April 20, the fur seals will be taking on Team Tiburon in a friendly competition in preparation for the upcoming "Tough Mudder" race. We hope to see you all here at the NEAq cheering on your favorite team. Our next Fitness Friday post will highlight the training techniques used by the seals to prepare, so stay tuned!

We've focused a lot on the active side of the animals, but if they weren't feeling well they certainly wouldn't be as active. So in order to make sure they are in the best shape possible, the seals have regular check-ups with their doctors just like we do. Let's take a look at what happens during Roxie's monthly check-up (which we call "rounds") with her trainer, Erin W., and her veterinarian, Dr. Julie.

First, we take a look at Roxie's entire body. The easiest way to do this is while Roxie is lying down.



Both Erin and Dr. Julie are checking the overall appearance of Roxie's skin, fur and the shape of her body.

Next we'll move on to more specific areas, like the eyes. Roxie is a senior fur seal and has cataracts. Erin and Dr. Julie look for any changes in the appearence of Roxie's eyes.



We also want to make sure that their teeth and gums are in good shape, so we monitor any plaque build-up, gingivitis or gum irritation.



Now I know what you're thinking...those are some dirty teeth! While you might think all that squid (and ink) are to blame, the dark color that you see on Roxie's teeth and mouth is the result of a normal and healthy bacteria.

Of course, with all of their activity, we need to make sure their flippers are in great shape. Erin is checking Roxie's range of motion while she also looks for any nicks or cuts on her skin.



Last, but not least, we might take a blood sample to make sure that everything is healthy on the inside. People usually have blood drawn from their arm. For the seals, we draw blood from a vein in the hind flipper.



We spread their hind flipper out (imagine spreading your fingers), then look for the veins that run in between their digits.



Roxie did a great job and passed her monthly rounds with flying colors.

Isaac has already showed us his impressive strength with a flipper stand. Another way these seals can show off their incredibly strong flippers is by doing the ever impressive speed swim. Fur seals can swim at impressive speeds, said to be over 10 mph!





Watch how easily Ursula glides through the water at a high speed.



Her trainers worked up her distance by starting close to the end point and gradually increased the distance. She can now swim the entire length of the pool! On average, people can swim at around 3 mph. Can you beat that?

-Lindsay