THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 4, 1996 TAG: 9609040409
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL CLANCY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 73 lines
They hopped up from their holding tanks on smooth, rounded chests and spotted the open door. Curiously but ponderously, they slid and hunched along the wet floor, large dark eyes and whiskered noses taking in their new surroundings.
``C'mon, boys, c'mon out,'' encouraged Lisa Mazzaro, a scientist from the Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Conn., where they were born and raised.
They sniffed the rock ledge and the salty water, hesitated for just a few seconds and then, with barely a splash, dived into their new habitat.
Five male Atlantic harbor seals, fin-footed cousins of sea lions and walruses, became the first marine mammals to take up residence at the Virginia Marine Science Museum on Tuesday.
Until they are formally introduced to the public Friday, the seals will swim and dive and play in the privacy of a black plastic covering that was wrapped around the tank outside the museum entrance.
The harbor seals are the last major animal exhibit to be brought to the museum as part of its ambitious $35 million expansion. They also are the only ones open to viewing outside the facility on General Booth Boulevard.
``The museum is a really fine facility now,'' said mammal supervisor Chip Harshaw, who helped coax the seals into their tank. ``It's taken a genuine leap forward to what would be considered a world-class facility for the animals it houses.''
The seals seemed to take eagerly to their new surroundings, gliding like fat, silver torpedoes, often upside-down, along the bottom of the 60,000-gallon tank filled with filtered saline water from Owl Creek. Every few minutes they surfaced, inspecting the small audience of onlookers or nuzzling each other.
Atlantic harbor seals, phoca vitulina, are natives of colder, northern waters. But recently in winter the species has shown up in Virginia waters.
``In the past few years the trend has been farther migration south because the population is growing and they're looking for more food sources,'' Mazzaro said.
They are pinnipeds, meaning winged or fin-footed - true seals, with no external ear flaps. Unlike sea lions, which raise themselves up and run on long foreflippers, this small-flippered version is slow and awkward on land, sliding and inching along.
They swim with a side-to-side motion of their rear flippers. They nurse their pups for only a few weeks.
``They have a pup and put all their energy into the milk, and within a couple of weeks the pups are out eating fish,'' Mazzaro said. ``Pups can also swim as soon as they're born. That morning they're out swimming.''
The five seals - named Peter, Piper, Pongo, Phoca and Norton - were born at the Mystic Aquarium. The aquarium offered them to the Virginia Marine Science Museum after phasing out its seal exhibit.
They are as different as their names. Some like mackerel as a treat, for instance, while others hate it. One likes squid, the others don't.
Some are gregarious and were quick to take to their new aquarium. One was wary and spent several hours working up an interest in making the transition. But there was no doubt that all seemed to like their new home. Mazzaro said that often, after being transported, seals won't eat for several days. Tuesday they ate like gluttons. MEMO: HARBOR SEALS
Adult males grow up to 5 feet long and 300 to 400 pounds.
Adult females grow up to 4 feet long and 250 to 300 pounds.
They are able to dive up to 600 feet and remain submerged for up to
30 minutes.
Females give birth in June and July in northern waters.
Lactation lasts 3 to 6 weeks.
They live 25 to 30 years.
They dine on fish, crustaceans, squid and octopus. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT, The Virginian-Pilot
Pongo, a male Atlantic harbor seal, is fed a fish by Nancy Borton at
the Virginia Marine Science Museum Tuesday. Five harbor seals took
up residence at the museum Tuesday. by CNB