Community Corner

Newest Boy in the Pool: Aquarium's 1st Male Pup

The public will get a peak via the media Wednesday, but then the baby harbor seal will be sheltered with his mother, who has already raised the Aquarium of the Pacific's first-born pup.

She's an older Mom, with the brown spots and gray to show for it.

But the Aquarium of the Pacific's Shelby has just birthed her second later-in-life baby, a male who will be ready to meet the press Wednesday morning at the downtown Long Beach aquarium. But it will only be a peak, because the newborn male needs several months of bonding and growing outside the general seal population.

Born May 1, 2013 weighing 30 pounds, the unnamed youngest pup will return to his backstage pool, not to go public again until late summer while he is taught the ropes by mom, and the Aquarium caregivers.

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You may recall that Patch brought you the firstborn harbor seal Bixby's first swim just more than a year ago, when she, too, was unnamed. A year after her first swim, Bixby is thriving but will stay with her new brother in hopes that she will learn even more behaviors that help trainers care for the seals, said Aquarium spokeswoman Marilyn Padilla.

And for the next two months, most anyone can have the opportunity to suggest a name for the new seal. 

Find out what's happening in Belmont Shore-Napleswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"The public has the chance to help name the pup through the Aquarium’s Adopt an Animal program by adopting a seal at the $25 level or higher before June 30, 2013," the Aquarium announced. "The pup will remain behind the scenes with his mother until he is ready to be moved to his home in the Seal & Sea Lion Habitat."

Most harbor seals give birth at about four to five years of age. Shelby, who is 17, was 16 when she gave birth to Bixby, the first harbor seal born at the Aquarium. Both Shelby's pups were fathered by the Aquarium's only male adult seal, Troy.

Check back for updates Wednesday.In the meantime, stay connected with Belmont Shore-Naples Patch throughout the day with our daily newsletter, breaking news alerts, and follow us (and like us) on Facebook and Twitter. 


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