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 Sparkling pools of water…
Icy glaciers in the background…
The sharp sound of sea lions barking as they frolic and play…
Welcome to the NEW Seal and Sea Lion Habitat at Glacier Run
This spacious, state-of-the-art exhibit is currently home to 4
California sea lions and a harbor seal with more animals scheduled
to arrive in the coming weeks and months. With 108,000 gallon of
recycled salt water in the main pool, Bart, Cicely, Triton and Kahula are enjoying leisurely days of swimming, playing and basking in
their new digs.
Zoo visitors are enjoying some creature comforts of their own. With
both above-ground and underwater viewing available it is possible to
see these fascinating animals from almost any angle. A 200 seat
amphitheatre provides shaded seating for one of the three daily
training and enrichment presentations.
The seals and sea
lions will be on exhibit daily until 4:30 p.m. Updates will be
posted here and on the Activities Schedule on the big map on the
Zoo’s Front Plaza.
Fun Facts About the Exhibit
- The new Seal and Sea Lion habitat has the potential to hold a
total of 14 seals and sea lions.
- The habitat’s state-of-the-art outdoor pool holds 108,000 gallons
of salt water.
- The pool depth ranges from 0 feet in the shallow end to 9 feet in
the deep end.
- The chilled salt water temperature is maintained at 66 degrees
year round.
- The salt water is recirculated through high-rate sand filters and
ozone disinfection.
- It took 25 tons of salt to acclimate the 108,000 gallon pool to
the desired salinity. Salinity concentration is tested by staff on a
regular basis using a digital refractometer. Sea water salinity is
32 parts per thousand. Drinking water has salinity of less than
0.5 parts per thousand. Salt water is equivalent to about 5
ounces of salt in 1 gallon of water.
- The spacious, shaded seating for visitors in the amphitheater
seats 200.
- Most of the “wood” you see in the exhibit is in fact concrete
painted to look like weathered wood.
Meet the Seals and Sea Lions
Glacier Run has the potential to house a total of 14 seals and sea
lions. So far, the following pinnipeds call it their home (although
more will join the group over time).
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Bart
- California Sea Lion
- 16-year-old male (Born at the Louisville Zoo in 1993)
- He has just returned back home to the Louisville Zoo
- Bart has a big personality. He is impressive in stature and can be
a little pushy. He can also sometimes be a troublemaker.
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Cicely
- California Sea Lion
- 23-year-old female (Bart’s mother)
- She has just returned back home to the Louisville Zoo
- Cicely’s trademark is her constant barking. But she also is easy
to train and adds humor to the group by clowning around a lot. The
staff says she is one of the best sea lions of all time.
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Toney
- Harbor seal
- 8-year-old female
- She was relocated from the Lincoln Children’s Zoo in Nebraska
- Toney is currently the only seal. She is still getting acquainted
with her new home and keepers, who describe her as “cute as a
button.”
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Triton
- California Sea Lion
- 20-year-old male
- He was relocated from the Birmingham Zoo in Alabama
- Triton is very easy-going and likes to participate in training
activities with his keepers.
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Kahula
- California Sea Lion
- 2-year-old male
- He was a stranded sea lion on the coast and rescued. After
unsuccessful release efforts, he was relocated to the Louisville Zoo
from The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, Calif.
- Kahula is mellow and even-tempered. He is young and has never had
any formal training, so staff will be working closely with him.
Kahula is the foundation of what the Zoo hopes to be the start of a
new harem of sea lions one day.
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What is the difference between seals and sea lions?
Seals and sea lions are in the pinniped family. Pinnipeds are
aquatic carnivorous mammal that have a streamlined body specialized
for swimming with limbs modified as flippers.
Here are some ways to tell the difference between a seal and sea
lion:
Sea Lions
- Have earflaps
- Have long hairless front flippers
- Have long smooth whiskers or vibrissae
- Their hind flippers rotate underneath to allow them to be agile
and walk quickly on land
- They swim underwater using front flippers like wings of a bird
Seals
- Have ear holes
- Have short, hairy front flippers & long claws
- Have whiskers that are crimped or beaded
- They move awkwardly on land by wiggling on their bellies and
keeping their hind flippers straight out
- They swim by steering with fore flippers and powering with hind
flippers
Learn more about the species in the Seal and Sea Lion Habitat
California Sea Lion Fact Sheet
Grey Seal Fact Sheet
Harbor Seal Fact Sheet
Exhibit and Training Demonstration Schedule
Times Subject to change
On Exhibit – daily until 4:30 p.m.
Training Demonstrations – 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.
Under Construction – Bear Habitat
The exciting new Bear Habitat and the town of Glacier Run itself are
scheduled to open in the Spring of 2011.
To learn more or to make a donation, click
here.
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