Seal/Sea Lion Shows (excluding Californian Sea Lions)

animalszoos

animalszoos

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
Do you know of any seal/sea lion shows that do not include Californian Sea Lions?
I have only seen one show in Bergen Aquarium with harbor seals, however this was a small shows where the seals just jump out of the water and touch a buoy/ball that is hung above on a rope. The Californian Sea Lion show here was much bigger with more flips and entertainment.
I would think more human-friendly seals/sea lions would make good shows, however I have had little experience, so I do not know too much about the topic.
 
I don´t know if it fits your definition of show but whatever...

Cape fur seals in Prague:
South American sea lion in Zlín:
 
Do you think any other species of seal/sea lion would make a good show.
By the way the ones you listed did fit my definition of a show.
 
I think that basically any species can make sort of a show, although the group of "true/earless seals" species (the Phocidae family) doesn´t quite cut it for me. I think that sea lions/fur seals and walruses are better suited for show purposes
 
In the days when there were a few southern elephant seals in Europe, they were often used in simple shows at feeding time. I posted this photo in the Gallery from Wilhelma (Stuttgart) in 1973 - as you can see, this was a combined performance with two Californian sealions too, but the elephant seal was undoubtedly the star.
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The commonest 'trick' was for the keeper to hold a fish behind the seal's tail to encourage it to arch its head back to take the fish, showing the extreme flexibility of its backbone. I think I have photos of this at Rotterdam, taken in 1973 or 74, which I will add to my mental list for scanning,
 
Marineland at Napier in New Zealand, now closed I believe. used to feature their Leopard Seal in a display- needless to say it was on its own!. First Leopard Seal I had ever seen and it was able to do tricks.
 
gentle lemur said:
In the days when there were a few southern elephant seals in Europe, they were often used in simple shows at feeding time. I posted this photo in the Gallery from Wilhelma (Stuttgart) in 1973.........
Click to expand...

Worth adding that that, at one time, Stuttgart Zoo's elephant seal feeding show used to feature a chimpanzee throwing fish for the elephant seal.....
 
Does plain old feeding time count? As in the animal are just being fed and some other employee of the Zoo/Aquarium is lecturing? Because at least in the past (I'll admit I haven't been in a while) Mystic has housed its Steller's Sea Lions, Northern Fur Seals, et al away from its California Sea Lions and had lectures at feeding time.
 
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