Seals, Sea Lions, and Otters Are Charming Us at Home

The beautifully thunderous bark of a seal? It's the sort of remarkable sound that carries across impressive distances.

Still, wherever you live, you're not hearing the barks of the whisker-laden, flipper-rocking favorites that call the Aquarium of the Pacific home, we'll wager.

For though seal barks can boom, they don't carry across cities and straight into our homes.

That's changing, however, thanks to an intriguing new offering from the Long Beach-based aquarium.

For the ocean-adjacent institution, which serves as the watery base to seals, sea lions, and adorable otters, too, is giving people at home a chance to hear, see, and enjoy some of the aquarium's most famous denizens.

These virtual encounters are also supplying the aquarium much-needed support during its pandemic closure, too, all while providing pinniped people and otter aficionados a chance to admire, via Zoom, these character-filled critters.

A feeding session will be featured on the Zoom sessions, with animal care staffers offering in-depth looks that are both behind-the-scenes-y and full of fun.

The Virtual Seal and Sea Lion Encounter is on Wednesdays and Sundays at 11:15 a.m. while the Virtual Otter Encounter takes place on Thursdays and Sundays at 2 in the afternoon.

Each session is $10 per household, and you'll want to book 48 hours ahead of the event (your Zoom link will be emailed to you once you register).

One day you'll be back at the aquarium, observing these tumbling, somersaulting, ultra-playful animals while you linger just outside their habitats.

But for now? You can, in fact, summon a seal to your home, via a screen, and maybe even hear a bark or two.

Find more details now and save your spot for this splash-tastic, aquarium-aiding event.