Featured Image Credit: New England Aquarium
By Lindsay Edgar
Ron the sea lion pup has graced the New England Aquarium with his sweet baby presence! Born to his 5 year old mother Tipper last week, little Ron is excited to be a part of the aquarium family. But first, he has to be able to move independently around his enclosure.
Like any other newborn sea lion pup, Ron needs to build up his muscle strength over time. According to Kathy Streeter, an employee of the marine mammal center, “Every day, he is stronger and more coordinated. We don’t expect Ron to be able to swim on his own until he is a few weeks old, at the earliest.”
Sea lion pups are relatively well developed at birth, but aren’t very coordinated. They have to practice walking on all of their flippers before they can swim! Eventually, they get the hang of it and can scoot around while their moms keep watch.
For now, Ron and Tipper are off-limits to public viewing, but you can visit them in the fall! This little pup is a cutie-pie and the folks at the N.E. Aquarium are more than proud to show him off.