Most seals give birth to young starting at four to five years of age but Shelby, one of the Aquarium’s female harbor seals, is 16 years old and gave birth to her first pup today. The newborn female seal weighs approximately 20 pounds.
Since Shelby is a first time mother, she does not have experience rearing young. Aquarium experts will be closely watching Shelby’s parenting skills to ensure the pup is receiving the proper nutrition as the two have time to bond. Shelby was two years old when she came to the Aquarium just before its June 1998 opening. The father of the pup, Troy, joined the Aquarium in 2007.
The Aquarium of the Pacific is located at 100 Aquarium Way in Long Beach, CA. For more information call (562) 590-3109 or visit www.aquariumofpacific.org.