A seal-ly good reason to celebrate at SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast!

Four rescue seals celebrate their ‘rescue anniversaries’ this month at SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast

Four seal residents of SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast Aquarium’s Seal Island colony are celebrating their rescue-anniversaries this month.

Commemorating the special occasion with a selection of their favourite icy-fish-jelly treats, the bob of seals (a group of seals is commonly referred to as a bob or pod!) play an important role as ambassadors for their species and shine a light on the critical conservation work undertaken by the team at SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast.

The four seals whose recue-anniversaries fall in August include:

Saturday: A long-nosed fur seal who was found stranded on Surfer’s Paradise Beach with ‘corneal opacity’ and irreparable damage to her right eye, which after vet examination was removed. Saturday is the newest resident of Seal Island and came to SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast this year.

Sly: A long-nosed fur seal who was found stranded at The Spit on the Gold Coast, suffering from some cookie cutter shark bites to his chest and lower abdomen. Sly can easily be spotted because of the large scars that still cover his underside and by his very dark and shaggy fur coast. Fun fact: Sly has the deepest and loudest vocalisation out of all the seals!

Moana: A long-nosed fur seal who arrived at SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast in 2015. Moana sustained a serious eye injury as a pup that has left her permanently visually impaired when she was found stranded on a beach in Coffs Harbour. Moana is incredibly playful and loves any toy that she is given!

Nelson: Sub-Antarctic fur seal Nelson arrive at SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast in 2011. Nelson had suffered an impact injury to his right eye when he was found stranded in Victor Harbour in South Australia. Vets believe his injury was most likely sustained while he was still a young pup feeding from his mother, and due to the injury, once he was weaned he was unable to successfully hunt independently.

Despite their good health, these seals have been deemed unfit for release into the wild and reside at the aquarium where they are ambassadors for their species. They help educate the public about the need for the conservation and protection of marine animals. 

Seals and sea lions are currently under threat from habitat destruction, pollution, bycatch and more. The team at SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast encourage Queenslanders to keep beaches clean, keep clear of wild seals and call the DES Hotline on 1300 130 372 if they come across a sick or injured seal in the wild.

Come meet our seals at SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast by pre-booking your tickets here:

Pre-Book Your Tickets Here