OPENED: 1970
The 1916 Riverview Park public swimming pool that had been buried in 1944 was "rediscovered" and converted to a sea lion pool in 1970, now home to the Owen Sea Lion Pool and Pavilion, housing a concession stand, restrooms and picnic area.
California sea lions live at Omaha's Zoo stay and in the pool year-round. This pool, using well water that is consistently mid 50's in temperature, never freezes and is always comfortable for the sea lions. The water level is lowered when it is expected that a new sea lion pup will be born and once the pup is born to create a "beach." This is done because sea lions pups are not able to swim.
California Sea Lion
The California sea lion is found primarily off the coasts of California and Mexico. The California sea lion population at the Galapagos Islands is totally protected; while the Japanese population is probably extinct. Sea lions live on rocky flats and shelves which are washed by large waves or submerged at high tide which help the sea lions stay wet.
Sea Lion Training and Enrichment
The sea lions at Omaha's Zoo are trained to target. This means they put their nose to an object held by the trainer. The sea lions are rewarded with fish. Enrichment items are often put in the pool to encourage natural behavior and to keep them active. Favorite forms of enrichment are the large, hard plastic balls, floating barrels and large pieces of ice with pieces of fish frozen inside.
Swimming & Diving
Physically adapted for living in water and on land, sea lions are excellent swimmers and divers. Their torpedo shape offers little resistance while swimming and diving. A sea lion can dive to 320 feet and remain submerged up to 20 minutes. Their ears and nostrils close automatically when they submerge. The heartbeat and circulation slow during dives; blood supply to some parts of the body is shut off and consumption of oxygen is lowered. Normal circulation resumes when the sea lion surfaces. Well-developed eyes have a clear membrane that allows underwater vision; they are capable of seeing at extremely low light levels.
Fun Facts
A sea lion can raise its body and "walk" by turning its hind flippers forward and placing the front flippers under its body. (True seals have poor locomotion on land.) Sea lions also use their flippers for grooming, in a dog-like scratching action, with their hind flipper.
When alarmed, they make a frantic dash for water, sometimes falling from rocky ledges. Their ribs are elastic and flexible, and together with blubber, they act as shock absorbers. The blubber also serves as insulation and a reserve food supply.
It is important that sea lions do not ingest foreign objects because they cannot digest solid matter even though they will swallow it. Solid objects remain in the gut until the animal becomes impacted and dies. To date, surgical procedures to remove foreign bodies have not been very successful.