Smithsonian National Zoo New Sea Lion/Seal exhibit

Very nice video link / virtual tour - thank you. (Although the transparent people are a bit creepy).
 
The first part of the virtual tour almost feels like an exact copy of Oregon Zoo's Stellar sea lion and sea otter exhibit!
 
Did it look to anyone else like they had animated sea lions into both pools, instead of having seals in the second one?
 
Wow I loved the virtual tour and aerial views! Looks very natural and realistic! The first pool looks like it has a wave machine or something creating waves? Really interesting :)
 
I just checked out the virtual tour for the first time, and the gray seal and California sea lion exhibits look much more natural than they currently do and I love the idea of including wave machines for the pinnipeds. It is great to see the National Zoo steadily improve, as the addition of the brilliant "Asia Trail" in 2006 was fantastic. Now there is the multi-acre "Elephant Trails" opening scheduled for 2011 and the Seal/Sea Lion exhibits in 2012. Also, the Conservation and Research Center (not on the same site as the zoo) is campaigning to raise $2 million for a new facility to host its nonstop breeding clouded leopards. Apparently the old building was built in 1911!
 
There is also a survey on the zoo's website regarding updating the Bird House
 
It seems like the zoo has moved the opening date back now to September 1st. which is fine with me i want this exhibit to be right and the best out of all the opening sea lions exhibits this year including st.louis zoo,tulsa zoo,turtle back zoo in New Jersey,Blank Park zoo,hogle zoo,Fresno's Chaffee zoo & Valley zoo in Edmonton.
 
In one article about American Trail, it mentions hillside habitats for bobcat and mountain lion. Is this true, as I hadn't heard anything about them being included before?

I suppose though, if the old bobcat exhibit is still standing, they could plop one or two in there (bobcats, that is)
 
I visited yesterday afternoon. I must say, I picked the right time to visit. Late afternoon in early September when kids are back in school. As I peacefully walked through American Trails, I could barely believe it was a brand new exhibit with the lack of people there. I loved that!

I went through the entrance starting from Elephant Trails. You descend down the path and there is a small waterfall on the left hand side. When you reach the main level, you come across the North American river otter exhibit. It was a naturalistic exhibit with many vantage points. You could walk 3/4 around the exhibit. There's also a lower level where you can see the otters swimming underwater. It is definitely an upgrade from the concrete hellhole they were in at the Small Mammal House.

If you veer off to the left of the exhibit, you are taken to the back path featuring the raven exhibit and the beaver exhibit. The raven exhibit is built into the hillside and gives the birds plenty of room to roam. The beaver exhibit is quite spacious with two pools and a replica of a dam. Hooded Mergansers also share this exhibit, although I did not spot the male one.

Next, also built into the hillside, is the grey wolf exhibit. Most of the exhibit is covered with mesh. However where the pool is located, it is open space to see the wolves with no barriers. There's also a glass window just past this point. The yard is quite long and many hiding places for the wolves. Across from this exhibit is the bald eagle exhibit. There are not a whole lot of vantage points. From a distance, you can see it behind the seal exhibit, but if you get up close, you see it from the side, and there are diagonal planks of wood blocking the windows. However, I did find a perk of this area as it was actual woods and I spotted some deer on the hillside both times I visited the exhibit.

The seal and sea lion exhibit both seemed smaller than I anticipated. The seal exhibit right now is fair in size for it's lone seal. However, when the acquire a few more seals for Adventure Aquarium, they will not have enough space. They will have to rotate groups. The sea lion exhibit is a bit deceiving because the pool area is bigger than it appears. You notice this when you go downstairs underneath the stadium seating to see underwater viewing. The sea lion exhibit has nice vantage points with mesh around the exhibit, a large glass window to half way into their pool so you can see both land and water (with brown pelicans occupying the center rock). Then the complete underwater viewing is below the stadium seating, as I mentioned before. I was a bit surprised as I did not see the waves or movement of water in the pools. Maybe they are still working on this or it was very subtle.

Two other areas which seems closed off was the wading pool and the cafe. The pool was drained so it was easy to find the hidden treasures. The cafe was also closed -- perhaps it's only opened on weekends or lunch hours.

This is a very solid addition to the zoo. I am thrilled pathways are open now and it's an easier way to back track to the entrance. It's also nice to look up on the hills, with the elephant walking trail on one side, and the siamangs/gibbions on the other side. I will be posting photos of the exhibit in the next couple of days. Please feel free to ask me any questions on things I may not have covered.
 
Last edited:
blospz- It seems the sea lion exhibit is better than the seal exhibit. I would personally not mind if they sent away the Grey Seals and made the exhibit just for the 2 male Harbor Seals that are supposed to come to this exhibit, as I seem to be the only one bothered with Grey Seals in a Pacific exhibit. I might visit the zoo next year, and I eagerly anticipate seeing American Trails, as well as the Asian exhibits, and so much more! Thanks for the review!
 
Thanks for the exhibit review blospz. It sounds like the exhibit and the trail complex are winners. I know that this zoo had Mexican wolves at some point - do you know if it was in the same exhibit that the grey wolves are in now, or is the grey wolf exhibit new?

Is access restored to the whole zoo now or do they still have some of the trails blocked?

Any word on when the ele exhibit is going to finally be finished?
 
I also want to note that you walk by the main holding building when you head towards the seal exhibit. Here you would think be the perfect spot for bathrooms, but they have signs on both ends of the building giving bathroom locations at other exhibits 3 minutes away. Although to be honest, the bathrooms to Elephant Trail aren't too far, but they would be going back up hill.
 
@ DavidBrown: The gray wolves are in the old Mexican wolves exhibit. However, I read somewhere they spruced up the exhibit and replanted trees previously in areas of Beaver Valley. I believe they switched to gray wolves because they are more endangered and not so common in other zoos. All trails are open! Right past the sea lion exhibit is the path way to the Andean bears. If you go on a path up hill that leads to the entrance right behind the anteater exhibit. It's a bit deceiving because it almost looks like it leads to the siamang exhibit. I honestly think they should have a pathway connecting the two areas so you do no have to back track.

Signs still say the elephant exhibit will be completed in 2013. It looks like a side yard next to the smaller yard they are using right now is getting worked on. It was not visible in the past. I only saw the male elephant in the smaller exhibit. I am a bit curious if the elephants have not been in the main exhibit recently because the grass was quite long.
 
Thks Blospz for the great review on the new american trails. such a great exhibit.

In regards to the elephant question when i was there a week ago all 3 elephants were out. 2 in the main yard and 1 in smaller yard.
 
Wait does that mean there will be 4 yards. The original plan showed the yard closest to the barn being double the size.
 
blospz said:
If you veer off to the left of the exhibit, you are taken to the back path featuring the raven exhibit and the beaver exhibit. The raven exhibit is built into the hillside and gives the birds plenty of room to roam. The beaver exhibit is quite spacious with two pools and a replica of a dam. Hooded Mergansers also share this exhibit, although I did not spot the male one.
Click to expand...

If you had, you may not have noticed. This time of year they are in eclipse plumage and the males look remarkably similar to the females.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top