S ea Lions are pinnipeds -like seals and walruses. They are different because of their earflaps, hind flippers and stronger front flippers that hold them upright on lland, and are used for swimming. S ea Lions are being taught to videograph whales underwater. Dr. Jim Harvey, Associate Professor of Marine Sciences at the Labs, conceived the idea while working as an underwater research assistant. Current understanding of whale behavior is based on surface observation.
Whales are accustomed to sea lions swimmin near.
Also, whales dive several hundred feet, and sea lions can do that, too. T hese sea lions are never taught to do anything they don't want to do, and their trained behaviors are extensions of their natural behavior in the wild. Hurley, other staff and volunteers conduct many 20 to 30 minute training sessions each day with the animals. They play games and practice new tricks, as they learn to obey different commands. Dr. Hurley has been training sea lions, monkeys and other animals since she was 11 years old at the National Zoo, and elsewhere.