The Alaska SeaLife Center welcomed the birth of a female harbor seal pup on World Oceans Day, June 8, according to a recent press release.
Atuun, the pup's mother, has been at the Center since 2004 participating in a number of different research projects.
This is Atuuns' first pup, and so far she has shown herself to be an excellent mother.
The pup is named Cordelia, which was chosen by a dedicated ASLC volunteer, Keefer Brown.
Cordelia was chosen based on its Celtic history and translates to "jewel of the sea." This is the first time a resident animal at the center has been named by a volunteer.
According to the center, Cordelia is getting bigger and gaining weight each day. Cordelia and Atuun spent several days under close supervision before being given access to their pool in order to prevent possible injury to the pup in deep water.
Upon seeing the pool for the very first time Cordelia quickly followed her mother's lead and slid right into the water.
"We are very excited," said husbandry director and marine mammal curator, Brett Long, "Atuun's pregnancy was uneventful and she and the pup are doing great." Cordelia is expected to make her public debut into the seal habitat within the next week.
The announcement for her debut will be made on the Alaska SeaLife Center Facebook page.
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