Blog

Barney the harbor seal is a beloved icon at the Seattle Aquarium. He was born here in 1985 and, over his 34 years, has touched the hearts of countless visitors, volunteers and staff.

This year, the Aquarium has been working hard to raise our collective voice in support of our southern resident orca population. Washington state has taken important steps, but we still have work to do as the southern resident population has fallen to only 73 members, the lowest number since the 1970s.

You may have seen the sad news. It was recently reported that three more orcas are presumed to have been lost from our endangered southern resident population. The Center for Whale Research maintains the official population records for J, K and L pods and issued a statement on Aug. 6 announcing that the southern resident population had fallen to 73 whales.

If Puget Sound were a grumpy old man, it would rightly say, “Get off my lawn!” But what lawn? What kind of grass grows in the water? If you guessed eelgrass, you’d be right.

June is Orca Action Month and conservation organizations across the region have been helping to raise awareness about the challenges facing our southern resident orcas. The challenges are many, but one of the biggest is the decline in Chinook salmon, the orcas’ primary food source.

Just as people go to the doctor or dentist for regular check-ups, the animals in our care also get regular check-ups. Get the inside scoop as Senior Veterinarian Dr. Caitlin Hadfield shares details about fur seal Leu’s recent exam.

Molalla has a roomie! We’re delighted to announce the arrival of Ahanu, an 8-year-old male North American river otter. Ahanu was born at the Oakland Zoo in California on February 14, 2011 and transferred to the Denver Zoo when he was 2 years old. His name means "he laughs" in the Native American Algonquian language.

Jellyfish, that is! It takes a lot of moon jellies (between 150 and 200) to fill our popular Ring of Life exhibit—and that’s why we grow our own, behind the scenes in small tanks called “kreisels.” The jellies start out as polyps and, in about six to eight months, when juveniles have matured to a larger size, they can be moved into the exhibit.

What’s soft, squishy, able to spill its guts and found in most Seattle Aquarium habitats? The sea cucumber! These invertebrates (animals without backbones) can confuse or harm predators by expelling their internal organs—literally spilling their guts—along with a toxic substance, in the direction of an attack. The missing organs regenerate in one to five weeks.

Invertebrates—animals without backbones—are found in every habitat at the Seattle Aquarium. And, like all animals that make their homes with us, they need expert care to thrive.

Aggregating anemones are the most abundant species of anemone along the North American coast. Found attached to rocks, they prey on small fish, snails, crabs and other animals that they immobilize with venom from their tentacles, then devour through their mouths, located at the top center of their bodies.

As part of ongoing efforts to help save our southern resident orca population, a task force convened by Governor Jay Inslee has been meeting regularly over the past six months to help determine how we can take measurable steps to better protect our local orca population. Photo: Center for Whale Research.