How are the seals, sea lions and sea otters trained?
These marine mammals are most trained for husbandry and enrichment purposes, not to perform for audiences. The Steller sea lions, in particular, are trained for research. They are trained to lie still while researchers take measurements of their body, to swim on the swimmill to check energy levels, or to wear a special camera “backpack” (called a Critter Cam) to research possible use on wild Stellers to reveal their underwater habits. The Aquarium, in partnership with the North Pacific Universities Marine Mammal Research Consortium is hoping to learn more about the declining population of wild Steller sea lions by studying trained Stellers at the Aquarium. How long are training sessions? Training sessions vary in length from a few minutes to thirty minutes, depending on the interest of the marine mammals. The sessions may be very short even though an animal is attentive, if the goal of the session is achieved. Permission is granted by the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre for cl
