Thursday, July 3, 2008

#25: Trip to the Dentist

Everyone knows that going to the dentist on a regular basis is important for taking care of your teeth. But did you know that this is also true for animals? All of our seals have a dentist that they see on a regular basis, but they don't have to go to the dentist's office - the dentist comes to them!! Recently, Dr. Laura Levan came to the Aquarium to see how all of our seals were doing. In this video, she is taking a good look at Lana's teeth, with the help of Lana's trainer, Justin. Look Justin - no cavities!

-Erin

Labels: Dentist, Erin, Harbor Seals, Husbandry behavior

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

#14: Seal Diets

What do Seals Eat?

What do the seals eat? It is a great question and one that gets asked a lot. At the NEAq, all of our seals are offered a combination of three foods, pictured above: herring (top), capelin (middle), and squid (bottom). Our fur seals eat mostly squid, with a little herring and capelin, while our harbor seals are the opposite; they eat mostly herring and capelin with a little squid. Regardless of their preferences, it takes a lot of food to keep our seals healthy. We are currently thawing approximately 80 lbs. of food every day!

-Erin

Labels: diets, Erin, fur seals, harbor seal

About

Why do we train seals? There are lots of reasons. Training keeps these intelligent animals stimulated. They really seem to enjoy learning new behaviors. Training also helps develop a close, working relationship based on trust. It's this trusting relationship that allows Aquarium biologists to work in close proximity to the seals so they can get checkups. This blog provides a window into the life and work of the Aquarium's marine mammal trainers.