Seals, sea lions and trainers — oh my!

When Consortium researchers and marine mammal trainers at the Vancouver Aquarium began their collaboration to study Steller sea lions in the laboratory, they were met with scepticism from their peers. "Everyone thought we were crazy," recalls Billy Lasby, who was one of the first trainers to work with the animals. "They said that Steller sea lions were too stubborn and too unpredictable. But we proved them wrong."

Trainer Nigel Waller with Steller sea lion

Since 1993, the collaboration has produced over 40 publications on studies involving the sea lions at the Vancouver Aquarium and won an award from the International Marine Animal Trainers’ Association. The training team currently consists of Billy Lasby, Troy Neale, Danielle Hyson, Nigel Waller, and Nathan Harben – and now they’re using their experience and expertise to help Consortium researchers find out why the northern fur seal population is declining on the Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea.

While Steller sea lions and northern fur seals can be trained with the same techniques, the differences in sizes and temperaments between the species make each a unique challenge.

"The sea lions seem to be more skittish," Danielle notes. "They react to things you don’t even know are there."

Billy agrees. "You’d think an animal that weighs over 160 kilograms wouldn’t be afraid of anything. But, these guys get nervous over something as simple as changing the color of our boots."

Training them requires patience. The trainers must consider anything new in the sea lion’s environment and help the animals work through their apprehension.

The fur seals, on the other hand, are unflappable. Sudden noises or strangers in their habitat don’t faze them, but their life history presents a challenge. At this stage, they are entirely pelagic. But training happens on land, and the seals don’t always want to come out of their pools.

"They just want to hang out and swim," says Nathan. "But once they’re out they’re ready to learn."

The bond the trainers share with the sea lions is different from what they share with the fur seals as well. When the Steller sea lions arrived at the Aquarium, they hadn’t been weaned yet and the trainers nursed them until they were ready to eat fish on their own. This allowed the sea lions and the trainers to form strong bonds.

Trainers Troy Neale and Danielle Hyson with Steller sea lions

In contrast, the fur seals were already weaned when they arrived at the Aquarium. This meant that training could start immediately, but as Troy observes, "You don’t have as much bonding time with them, so you have to approach their training differently."

The difference in the animals’ sizes is also a consideration. The young fur seals weigh 12 to 15 kilograms, whereas the adult Steller sea lions are over ten times heavier – between 150 and 240 kilograms.

"With the Stellers we really have to be careful of where we stand when we’re around them," Billy says. "If something scares them and we’re in their way, they will go right over us to get back to their pool. We don’t have that problem with the fur seals – but we do have to modify everything so they can’t slip out of our equipment. They’re excellent escape artists. If there’s a way out, they’re going to find it."

Nigel has a slightly different take on how the size of the fur seals affects training: "We have to get down to their level, which means we spend a lot of time on our knees. I’ve gone through a lot more pairs of pants since they arrived."

But for all the differences and challenges in training these two highly intelligent species, the trainers agree that they have one of the best jobs in the world. "When an animal grasps an idea you’re trying to get across to them, you can actually see it click with them," says Troy. "In that moment, you have an incredible connection with them. It’s really cool."

Not only that, but the trainers also have the satisfaction of knowing that their work goes towards protecting these animals in the wild. "This isn’t just fun and games," Nathan says. "We’re doing this for research. Their populations are declining, and no one knows why. We’re part of the solution."

April 28, 2010