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Harbor seals Feisty and Gracie came to the Maritime Aquarium from ABQ BioPark in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Maritime Aquarium / contributed
The Maritime Aquarium welcomed a couple of new flippered friends to its Pinniped Cove exhibit in early January.
The new Harbor seals, Feisty (a 33-year-old male) and Gracie (a 20-year-old female), came to the Maritime Aquarium from ABQ BioPark in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Both of the seals are blind. They were given "ample time" to get used to their new environment without other seals, according to the aquarium. They are the first new seals to be introduced to the group since 2005, and they underwent a 30-day quarantine process in order to protect the health of the other animals.
"This process went exceptionally well with Feisty and Gracie displaying signs of comfort within minutes of entering Pinniped Cove. After they acclimated to their new surroundings, they were joined by the aquarium’s other seals – Rasal, Ariel, Polly, Tillie, and Leila," a press release by the aquarium stated.
Pinniped Cove, the 160,000-gallon and 22-foot-deep exhibit where the seals live, opened to the public in June 2021. Aquarium staff hosts seal training demonstrations every day at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Visitors to the Maritime Aquarium watch the seals frolic in their new enclosure Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Norwalk, Conn.
Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media“This is one of the best and largest displays devoted to harbor seals in the U.S.,” Director of Husbandry at the Maritime Aquarium Barrett Christie said in June 2021. “Fabricated rock work on the bottom and along the edges simulate their native natural environs of New England. And guests have the opportunity again to watch as our staff feeds the seals and works with them on animal-husbandry techniques.”