Rocky Shores & Arctic Tundra

How can you tell the difference between a seal and a sea lion? Seals have ear holes, while sea lions have ear flaps. They also “walk” on land using their fore-flippers, while seals scoot on their bellies.

Here at the Zoo we have four sea lions: Björn, Matia, Eloise and Boomer. Sometimes they’re together, sometimes not – keep a look out in the main pool habitat!

Sea otters are very social – and ours are no exception! Moea and Libby love to play together or just snuggle – but they’re also extremely curious and will explore objects like cups or balls.

It’s hard to resist those beautiful big eyes. But harbor seals have special eyes for a reason – their flattened corneas help them take in more light, making it easier to see underwater.

You might just spot one in nearby Puget Sound, but ours are a lot easier to find in the big pools of Rocky Shores.

Note: With the arrival of bird flu in Washington, we’ve moved our Puffins to a covered area off-exhibit to keep them safe and healthy.

Plenty of sea birds live along the shores of Alaska and British Columbia, and in the Rocky Shores habitat we have three kinds: tufted puffins, with their classic tuft of feathers on the back of their heads; horned puffins, who sport a curvy black “horn” of feathers over their eyes in summer; and murres, with their white chests and smooth black backs.

Note: With the arrival of bird flu in Washington, we’ve moved our penguins to a covered area off-exhibit to keep them safe and healthy.

Our Magellanic penguins are cared for by Rocky Shores keepers – but there’s a big difference between them and the other inhabitants. They don’t live in the same place! In the wild, penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere, close to Antarctica, while Pacific walrus, sea otters, California sea lions and harbor seals live in the Northern Hemisphere.

Here at the Zoo you’ll also find them in a different place: just uphill from the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater.

We have two muskox! These shaggy bovines have roamed the frozen Arctic for thousands of years, munching on moss and gathering in herds for protection.

Our muskox have an enormous grassy tundra of their own, kept fairly free of trees just as it would be in their wild habitat.