Floreana Island
The beauty and peace you find in this paradise has me always feeling good and in high spirits! But, today I have a special reason to be even happier than usual. Early this morning I spotted one of my favorite animals ever: an albino sea lion. This fuzzy little fellow has caused an unusual commotion among our visitors and internet readers. Many of you who have heard and read about her or have had the privilege of seeing this animal and some of you have even been calling our offices asking for an update on her. I am very pleased to tell all of you that she looks great! She is in good health and is not the least bit skinny. Her weight and size are normal for her age. I say “she,” because we know that this albino juvenile is a female. August 9th, 2001 has been determined to be the official birthday of this albino sea lion, so she is now 18 months and four days old. Her coloration has darkened through the past months. When she was born she was very pale, almost white. Her coloration is exquisite; it is a combination of cream and caramel. Her flippers are pinkish as are her ears and nose. These characteristics are keys that help us to identify her easily among the other sea lions in the area.
Today I was just a few feet from her. It is touching to be able to get this close to such a special “friend.” Her eyes were almost closed and she was staring at me through squinty slits for some time. I took several pictures for our records and for the Charles Darwin Research Station. In these pictures you can see both a close up and one for size comparison. I put my watch next to her to give you an idea of her actual size.
If you are reading about this unusual mammal for the first time and you became interested and fall in love with her, as we have, you can find more information about her on this web site. Just check the Polaris past daily expedition reports. For now, this special creature is still alive and doing well. Keep in touch for future updates.
The beauty and peace you find in this paradise has me always feeling good and in high spirits! But, today I have a special reason to be even happier than usual. Early this morning I spotted one of my favorite animals ever: an albino sea lion. This fuzzy little fellow has caused an unusual commotion among our visitors and internet readers. Many of you who have heard and read about her or have had the privilege of seeing this animal and some of you have even been calling our offices asking for an update on her. I am very pleased to tell all of you that she looks great! She is in good health and is not the least bit skinny. Her weight and size are normal for her age. I say “she,” because we know that this albino juvenile is a female. August 9th, 2001 has been determined to be the official birthday of this albino sea lion, so she is now 18 months and four days old. Her coloration has darkened through the past months. When she was born she was very pale, almost white. Her coloration is exquisite; it is a combination of cream and caramel. Her flippers are pinkish as are her ears and nose. These characteristics are keys that help us to identify her easily among the other sea lions in the area.
Today I was just a few feet from her. It is touching to be able to get this close to such a special “friend.” Her eyes were almost closed and she was staring at me through squinty slits for some time. I took several pictures for our records and for the Charles Darwin Research Station. In these pictures you can see both a close up and one for size comparison. I put my watch next to her to give you an idea of her actual size.
If you are reading about this unusual mammal for the first time and you became interested and fall in love with her, as we have, you can find more information about her on this web site. Just check the Polaris past daily expedition reports. For now, this special creature is still alive and doing well. Keep in touch for future updates.
