California Sea Lion
The “lion” part of these marine mammals’ name is spot on. Sea lions are among the most vocal of all mammals, and the mountainous males can emit reverberating barks to defend their territories or court females.
Rescued sea lion Cruz is blind, but that doesn’t keep him from training like the other animals! Our experts have built a program based on sound, touch and, most important, trust.
A home for rescued sea lions
Three of Shedd's five sea lions are rescues, but each came to the aquarium in a different way. Cruz was a pup when he was found blinded in both eyes on the California coast, while Laguna was found stranded and starving on California beaches—not once, but twice! Culling can be the next step, but government wildlife agencies and the marine mammal community collaborated to find him a home at Shedd. Tanner was also rescued after he was seen eating endangered salmon at the Bonneville Dam.
Meet the sea lions
On an Abbott Oceanarium visit, you might see California sea lions Laguna, Tanner and Cruz zooming around Grainger Sea Lion Cove or piled up for a nap. Even when you can’t see them, you can hear these aquatic predators throughout the Pacific Northwest exhibit when they start vocalizing—and living up to their common name.
Cruz
Laguna
Tanner