THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 15, 1996 TAG: 9606200643
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E7 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: SPECIAL EDITION: A VISITOR'S GUIDE TO THE EXPANDED VIRGINIA MARINE
SCIENCE MUSEUM
SOURCE: BY SCOTT HARPER
STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 76 lines
Their names are Peter, Piper, Pongo, Phoca and Norton. They are homeless harbor seals.
The five seals, all males, have lived together since birth at the Mystic Marine Life Aquarium in Mystic, Conn. But the aquarium is expanding and changing themes, and the seals are no longer needed.
Enter Chip Harshaw, marine mammal specialist at the Virginia Marine Science Museum. Harshaw happened to know the Mystic curator and also happened to be in the market for several mature seals.
``It was a perfect fit,'' Harshaw said. ``These animals needed a good home, and we think we'll provide one.''
The adopted seals are expected to arrive in Virginia Beach by truck, probably in August. Once here, they will live outside the main building of the Virginia Marine Science Museum in a 60,000-gallon saltwater tank and habitat that will be open to free public viewing.
An adjacent shelter, complete with three wading pools, is being built for the seals. They will be able to swim into their indoor home during bad weather or if they just need a change of scene.
The seals, which are more than 5 feet long and weigh more than 200 pounds, are not just fancy window-dressing. Like every exhibit at the museum, the seals will show visitors a slice of life from Hampton Roads-area waters.
While most harbor seals live in the icy waters off New England and Canada, youngsters have started migrating south during the winter in search of food.
In recent years, they have turned up in Virginia, North Carolina and even Florida, Harshaw said.
Two winters ago, several seals were seen lounging on the rocks of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Reports of lone, sick seals crawling onto a pier or jetty are becoming seasonal norms in Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks.
The harbor seal is not as theatrical as its cousin, the sea lion, which is known for balancing balls on its nose and clapping its flippers for audiences at aquarium shows.
Harbor seals have become so prolific in the North Atlantic and North Pacific that they are viewed as somewhat of a nuisance species. In the state of Washington, for example, federal officials are allowing a limited hunt of protected seals because they gobble up salmon trying to make spawning runs.
In Maine, lobster fishermen increasingly complain that seals steal herring bait from their lobster traps. And in San Francisco, tourists are asked not to feed harbor seals that lie lazily on docks and near bayside restaurants.
But with brown eyes and long eyelashes, sleek fur and a chubby, cute clumsiness on land, harbor seals remain an endearing animal to most people.
Harshaw said the seals at the museum will not be exploited through trivial exhibitions or games. But, he said, the museum will periodically offer visitors a chance to watch the seals play with their trainers or with toys.
The animals will be fed herring, squid and mackerel, and their tank will be filled with salt water chilled to a very New England-like 60 degrees, Harshaw said.
The decision to bring only males to Virginia Beach was calculated. Harshaw said a female would likely have caused aggressive competition between the males and that museum staff is not trained sufficiently to cope with what could be a difficult scrap.
Seals are mammals, so they must come to the surface to breathe air. Still, they can stay underwater for up to 30 minutes and dive as deep as 600 feet, Harshaw said.
Because they are a regulated species under the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act, the seals' living quarters and upkeep are licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Marine Fisheries Service.
The museum has satisfied requirements of both agencies so far, Harshaw said, adding that he expects no problem in obtaining regulatory approval in time for the seals' arrival. MEMO: Note: This exhibit will open later in the summer. ILLUSTRATION: JOHN EARLE / The Virginian-Pilot
The seals will be on exhibit outside the museum's main building. by SS