Guests to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium can now see Pepper, the California sea lion born June 6, in the Rocky Shores seal and sea lion habitat.

“Pepper made her public debut this morning and is fitting right in,” said Curator Jen DeGroot. “In recent weeks, she was gradually introduced to the other seals and sea lions behind the scenes, and they’ve all gotten along beautifully.”

At just two months old, Pepper now weighs 31 pounds and continues to grow. Her mother, Eloise, weighs around 160 pounds, while some adult female sea lions can reach up to 250 pounds. Eloise has been diligently teaching Pepper how to swim, a skill sea lion pups are not born with.

“Pepper has been a keen observer of Eloise and is a fast learner,” noted DeGroot.

Pepper will nurse for up to one year before adding new foods to her diet, such as herring, capelin, and squid. She is the first sea lion pup born at Point Defiance Zoo in its 119-year history.

Pepper’s parents, Eloise and Boomer, arrived at Point Defiance Zoo in July 2019 after being rescued and deemed unreleasable. Matia, another sea lion at the zoo, was born in 2004 to a mother who was stranded and rescued while pregnant, making her unable to care for her young. Raised by humans, Matia could not be released back into the wild. Now, all the sea lions are thriving, enjoying their time together in the Rocky Shores pools.