Fruits and Veggies for Sea Lions?

We all know in the wild, pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, and walruses) eat a variety of prey ranging in different sizes from krill, which is filtered in by cheek teeth, to with leopard seals, penguins and small marine mammals.

In modern zoological facilities, they’re given a diet of fish and invertebrates that help provide a balanced source of fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. However, these diets vary by species, an animal’s age, weight, health status, and gender under the recommendation of an experienced veterinarian.

The diets are offered to and made accessible to, the animals, regardless of purpose throughout the day. They’re also calculated when balanced upon completion. This diet, when provided properly during enrichment and training sessions, provides animals with all the nutrition they require throughout the day without gross excess.

Speaking of the use of food in enrichment, some facilities have actually gotten clover with how they use it to stimulate and encourage healthy behaviors among their pinnipeds.

After all, enriching seals and sea lions with environmental enrichment devices that contain food items are very important to their well-being in a modern facility. In fact, there are several ways zoos and aquariums stimulate pinnipeds with enrichment that contain food items:

Feeding times: When food is spread across the animal habitats during and after feeding times, it can help keep them busy.

Fish in ice: Seals and sea lions get active if they’re given a cube of ice that contains frozen fish and squid. It’s made by freezing the food items in buckets, pans, or as “fish-sickles.

Transparent ball: A type of ball that comprises holes with several sections that allow small herring, mackerel, and sprat to be inserted. When placed in the habitat, the seal or sea lion’s curiosity will lure them to the ball because they can see the fish. It will take them a while to get all the fish and squid out of the ball.

Floats: Some floats can easily be drilled with holes that are big enough to fill up with fish and squid.

Frisbees: Some food items are placed on top of frisbees, which are then thrown into the pool for the animals to interact with.

Dead crabs: In zoological settings, dead crabs are both interesting and challenging for sea lions and fur seals, because crustaceans are part of their natural diet.

Recently, some facilities have adopted a new form of enrichment to keep their pinnipeds stimulated throughout the day, and it’s the most unlikely form too: fruits and vegetables. On the International Animal Training Association’s Advisory Committee Facebook group, a few animal care professionals have opened up on how they use fruits and vegetables as food items. It all started with a question asked by an anonymous user:

“Has anyone used produce (fruits and veggies) for enrichment with pinnipeds? What have your vets deemed safe? Did it affect their digestion? Thanks!”

While the thought of seals and sea lions consuming fruits and vegetables may sound ridiculous since they’re carnivores, many animal care specialists have opened up about how they provide veterinarian-approved produce as enrichment:

“I've seen watermelon. I don't remember any of the sea lions even trying to eat it, but the vet-approved it in case they ingested it. They seemed to have a ball pushing it around since it floated”.

—Gray Hite, on an account regarding an enrichment session with sea lions.

“Watermelon!! A little sea Lion has so much fun with her watermelon! She chews on the red pieces but doesn’t swallow most of it, although I have seen her eat some chunks like “hello””!

—Ellen Cuppage, Gulf World.

“Watermelon, pumpkin, and oranges. I’d suggest whole large pieces, or smaller cut-up pieces they can swallow. Some like to toss it around, others like to rip it apart and eat it. Our vets have approved these items in moderation. They love it!”

—Sierra Chappell, Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden

While I found it interesting, yet surprising, that marine mammal facilities often add produce as an enrichment option for their pinnipeds, not all facilities practice this. For example, Malgosia Kaczmarska, who worked with seals and sea lions at Vancouver Aquarium, how the veterinarian never allowed produce to be provided to the animals:

“Our veterinarian at Vancouver Aquarium didn’t allow us to give any fruit or veggies as EEDs, as there isn’t much data on how pinnipeds digest plant matter, and we worked with Stellers, and they would ingest anything that falls into their pools.”

–-Malgosia Kaczmarska, Zoo d’Amneville.

I think it’s amazing to hear how the animals treat produce no different from what they would with their regular food and how they see it as enriching throughout the day. I just loved reading about how some pinnipeds won’t eat the produce but will treat it like a toy because of their buoyancy or simply tear it apart without ever eating them. It’s an amazing way to help improve the lives of pinnipeds in human care and encourage their natural behaviors.

Produce is better than the plastic garbage that endangers their wild counterparts.