Grand Opening

The Grand Opening for the Seal & Otter exhibit at the zoo was yesterday. There were all sorts of activities planned for the day: a ribbon cutting ceremony, a critter table, story time in the Greenhouse, Sketch-n-Safari, and three very large celebratory cakes. I volunteered to work at the critter table.

The biggest problem for the day was the weather. That morning was bitter cold: I’m guessing it was about 4 degrees. Not only is that miserable weather to be working in, but it also tends to cut down on the number of people coming to enjoy the event. I was supposed to have sat out there with my critter table the entire 3 hours, but was just freezing to death so they let me close up early.

But it was so nice to see that exhibit up and running again. We started work on it over two years ago, sending our harbor seal off to the SeaLife center in Seward for the duration. The otters were able to make due in a temporary exhibit off of the wolverine’s habitat.

The new building has all new plumbing & filtration systems, a brand new furnace, and a completely remodeled exhibit area. The seal’s half got doubled in size so they have lots of room to swim around now. The otter’s side was made to look a lot more realistic, and is just perfect for them.

We modified the viewing area up on top so that people can no longer toss coins into the water; that’s why we had to shut the old one down so long ago. The seals ate the coins and so, of course, one died. I’ll never understand why some people seem to have this overwhelming need to toss coins into every body of water they come across.

We still have the underwater viewing down below, as well, but it no longer feels so claustrophobic down there, and might actually be a nice place to go. I always hated that old exhibit.

The animals seemed to be enjoying their new surroundings. Chloe and her son Tongas (he was born over at the SeaLife center and is now 6 months old) were both playing follow the leader thru the rock tunnel and around the exhibit. She seems to have taught her son to do her favorite trick with her: she loves to swim upside-down and he does it too, right behind her!

The otters were sliding down the mountains of snow and gliding into the water, only to jump out and do it all over again. They would occasionally stop and stand up on their hind feet to view the crowds, as if to say “Are you watching?”