Long Island Aquarium Rescues California Sea Lion Pup

Last year, The Long Island Aquarium rescued a sea lion pup that was found on a California beach. That sea lion, Nila, is now on view in the aquarium's sea lion exhibit.

Last summer, a California sea lion was found severely dehydrated, underweight, and malnourished on the shore of a California beach. After hearing the news, the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead swooped in and saved the 2-year-old girl named Nila.

After one year of training and health care behind-the-scenes at the aquarium, Nila was introduced to the outdoor exhibit in early May.

“She has been cared for behind-the-scenes so that she can gain body fat to survive our horrible winters,” says marketing director Darlene Puntillo.

Weighing only 60 pounds—compared to the 400 pounds of her two exhibit-mates—Nila has been learning behaviors that will not only be on display at sea lion shows when she is larger, but also help trainers assist in the care of the sea lion.

“People think of them as tricks but they are behaviors,” Puntillo says. “Raising a flipper might be a wave to the audience, but it is really a way for us to get her to move her flipper to see what might be wrong.”

The aquarium is open 10am-5pm every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. General admission tickets are $26.50; $20.50 for children ages 3-12 and seniors ages 62 and older; and free for children younger than 2.