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Colby and Diego are making big waves as they arrive at our sister facility at Hersheypark, Pennsylvania for the summer! In the past, our sea lions Diego and Geneva have spent several summers at the Aquatheatre educating guests about marine life and conservation. This summer, Geneva will stay in Milwaukee as she prepares for the arrival of her pup.

Hersheypark guests will be thrilled to see Diego return. He will be a great role model for Colby, our three year old, who is spending his first summer at Hersheypark. Colby is an enthusiastic juvenile, who loves to participate in training sessions with his trainers. We are certain he will do a fantastic job serving as an ambassador to sea lions in the wild by educating guests in our daily presentations.

Our harbor seals Mango and Bumper eagerly welcomed their sea lion companions. The Oceans of Fun team accompanied our seals during transport earlier this spring. Hersheypark will now be a year round home to Mango, Bumper, and several of our trainers.

Our team worked round the clock to ensure a safe transport for our animals. Not only is a lot of work required in preparing the supplies and plans, but we must also prepare the animals. Everyday Colby and Diego practiced voluntarily entering crates to ensure they were ready for their big move.  This dedicated practice allowed them to become familiar with transport procedures and allowed us to transport them in a comfortable setting. Trainers travel alongside animals throughout the transport and the entire process was done under veterinarian supervision.

We use specially designed wooden crates to transport our animals. These crates are similar, though much larger, to ones you may have in your home for your pets. Unlike dolphins, sea lions do not spend their entire lives in the water so crated transports are very comfortable for them. However, Oceans of Fun staff took extra care to pamper our animals with regular misting.

By sharing our animals with the public, Oceans of Fun is able to make a lasting impact and inspire audiences to care for these amazing animals and their environment. Through transports, we are able to extend our reach and touch even more lives. Transports also make breeding loans possibly, drastically increasing the genetic diversity and breeding success of zoos and aquariums throughout the world.

We are excited to share our seals and sea lions with Hersheypark guests this season.