Into the Lion's Pool
It's 2:00 p.m. and Getting Close to the Sea Lions' Favorite Part of the Day
The dark shapes glide under the water at the New England Aquarium, twisting and turning in a dark blur. It is about 2:30 p.m. and the sea lions appear to be visibly excited, darting across the pool and hauling themselves out to pace along the edges. They are eagerly awaiting the daily 2:45 p.m. training session.
Occasionally, a dog-like muzzle breaks the surface leaving a smooth wake behind it. A small crowd is forming around the same time, parents with children of varying ages, tourists and couples on dates - all in heavy winter coats. The pool is outdoors with a roof cover that keeps out rain but does nothing about the cold and wind coming off Boston Harbor.
The New England Aquarium's New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center is home to four California sea lions and three Northern fur seals. The Aquarium rescues seals and sea lions as pups, and those who are considered unable to be rehabilitated and released are the ones that visitors see at the exhibit. The one exception is baby Ron, who was born at the aquarium in July 2017. At about a year and half old, he is barely half the size of the others and easy to pick out.
By 2:45 pm, the benches in the viewing area are completely full, and the sea lions are putting on their own show, chasing each other underwater and hauling out poolside before diving back in.
Five trainers, four of whom carry large buckets of fish, come out from the inner pool facility, and all four sea lions knife through the water towards them. The fifth trainer takes out a microphone and introduces the animals as Zoe, Sierra, Tipper and Ron. The sea lions each gravitate towards a trainer with obvious familiarity, looking up at them expectantly, their expression deceptively dog-like.
Not surprising, considering seals and sea lions are related to canines; the four flippers even give the impression of four legs. Even more closely related are the two species that share the pool - despite their name, the Northern fur seals are technically part of the sea lion family.
Sea lions are extremely intelligent so they have to want to cooperate. The Navy uses them to find enemy divers and sweep the oceans for mines. As with any intelligent animals, a trainer has to ensure that training "is a fun and stimulating game rather than a tedious chore," explained the trainer with the microphone, who identified herself as Sharon. Otherwise the large predators will at best, ignore them or at worst, use their powerful jaws. This requires a bond of mutual trust be established where both parties feel safe.
They start by making a game out of checking the animals - it is after all a routine check made to look entertaining. The animals are asked to open their mouths for a look at their teeth, asked for their flippers so they can be inspected, and asked to turn around to examine for lumps or abnormalities. As the animals comply with the requests, they are liberally rewarded with small, whole fish. After the requisite checks, the person with the microphone provides details about the animals, their hunting habits, and personal histories.
The show picks up as the sea lions demonstrate a maneuver called "porpoising" - leaping out of the water in a dolphin-like crescent. In the wild, they may do this just for fun, as well as to avoid predators like sharks. Sierra crosses the length of the pool, catching fish thrown to her from the other side.
The animals mimic the trainers with dancing and flipper moves. Zoe stands up on her hind flippers, almost like feet, so the audience can see how tall she is and when she arrives for her fishy reward, she hauls herself out of the pool. In the wild, coming ashore is the simplest method for escaping pursuing sharks, explains the announcer. "Bye-bye, shark!" she exclaimed, and Zoe on cue turns and waves her flipper to the audience, eliciting the expected "oohs" and "awws."
These captivating animals are at risk despite their size and intelligence. Global warming has led to loss of ice where they haul out to mate and give birth, overfishing threatens their food sources and ocean pollution impacts their habitat. This is why something as simple as a routine training demonstration can be turned into an opportunity to showcase these amazing marine mammals. Especially considering some of the children in the audience may never get a chance to see them in the wild.