News Detail

Reese was born in July 2015 and followed the typical milestones for sea lion pups including weaning from her mother’s milk. It was quickly noticed that eating fish became increasingly difficult for Reese.  While it was apparent she was hungry, she wanted nothing to do with fish.   We let her continue to nurse until she reached a weight where we could safely do a health assessment to determine this aversion toward fish.  When she finally reached the needed weight, we were able to do the procedure and discovered that Reese has Oropharyngeal Stenosis.  This means her esophagus is oddly shaped and only one quarter the size of what it should be.  If she were in the wild, she would have no chance of survival.  Being dedicated to the health and welfare of each and every one of our animals, the animal care team at Oceans of Fun knew that giving up on Reese was not an option.  Our staff has worked relentlessly to keep this tough little cookie up on her flippers and ensure she’s eating fish painlessly.  We are proud to say that Reese is now eating 10-12 pounds of fish every day! Being one of the first zoological institutions to encounter this naturally occurring birth defect in a California sea lion, we are thankful that we were able to help Reese and ensure she is happy, healthy, and pain free.  Read the full story here and enjoy video footage of our animal care team feeding Reese!