Meet the Zoo: Beebe and Stella the Sea Lions

There is a popular expression about people having more talent “in their little finger” than others.  Well, that goes for the sea lions in the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Prospect Park Zoo who have more talent in their…flippers.

Beebe and Stella are two female, California sea lions who delight zoo visitors three times a day, showing off their skills in training sessions. While they are rewarded for performing the tasks requested with a tasty fish (herring or capelin), sometimes it just seems like they enjoy showing off to the public.  Bolstered by applause and oohs and aahs, Beebe and Stella will bark, dive, and twirl in the water and dance.

“Dancing” is unique to Prospect Park Zoo’s sea lion training and was developed by the zoo’s training staff for a special event.  Samba with the Sea Lions takes place every June and features music and dancing by Samba New York, a Brazilian percussion band.  In preparation for the first year’s event, keepers thought it would be fun to see if the sea lions could perform a movement that would resemble dancing; something that the animals could do to the music.  They came up with a side to side flipper movement and a hand signal and practiced with the sea lions to recorded music.

On the day of the event, Beebe and Stella premiered their new moves to the delight of not only zoo guests, but the Samba New York band as well who continue to joke about their aquatic “dancing partners”. While Beebe and Stella are certainly talented “dancers,” the beautiful Samba New York dancers definitely steal the show back when they take center stage.

But that does not deter Beebe and Stella from showing off their moves regularly.  They may not wear sequins and feathered tiaras, but their slick brown fur and streamlined bodies make sea lions very talented swimmers.  High intelligence, the ability to walk on all four flippers, and a super flexible spine are qualities that make these animals great candidates for training programs.

While the training shows are pure entertainment for guests, they are very important for animal health and care.  Asking a sea lion to open its mouth wide and bark allows a keeper to look inside and make sure teeth and gums are in good shape.  A flipper shake allows a keeper to stroke the animal’s body and check for any issues.  When an animal is sick, these regular training sessions can greatly reduce the stress of veterinary exams and medical procedures.

Next time you visit the Prospect Park Zoo, enjoy the dancing but remember some of those moves are really for the health and well being of our wonderful sea lions.