New England Aquarium Adopts Two Sea Lions From Alabama

There are a couple of relatively new faces at the New England Aquarium in Boston. Farley and Giovanni are a pair of 15-year-old California sea lions that have transferred from the Birmingham Zoo in Birmingham, Alabama.

The Aquarium says Farley (male) and Gio (female) became residents of Boston in June, though their presence was just recently announced.

State House News Service reported Farley and Giovanni "are now permanent residents of the aquarium's New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center, where they joined three other California sea lions: Zoe, Sierra, and Tipper."

Kristen McMahon, curator of pinnipeds and penguins, said, "Farley and Gio are at the perfect age to socialize with our resident sea lions, and we feel that this will not only be very enriching for all five of the sea lions but also align with our goal of providing the highest level of care for our animals."

Get our free mobile app

Farley and Gio were stranded on beaches twice in California in 2019, and instead of being returned to the wild, they were cared for at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California, before being taken to the Birmingham Zoo.

The sea lions arrived in Boston aboard a FedEx cargo plane, accompanied by trainers and a veterinarian from Alabama. They have been adjusting to life in Boston ever since.

The Associated Press says sea lions living in captivity usually outlive those that live in the wild.

"California sea lions had an average life expectancy of 20 years at parks and aquariums and more than 31 years at Sea World parks," the AP reported.

"Estimates in the wild put average life expectancy at more than 17 years," according to AP.

Because Farley and Gio were born in the wild but have lived in captivity, it is impossible to estimate their life expectancy.