Inspired by the Pacific Northwest, Rocky Shores is an extensive exhibit that features bears, eagles, sea lions, seals, and otters.
While at the exhibit, guests will be immersed in the themed areas simulating a canning facility. Educational information about the animals, their behaviors and instincts, and their future survival are presented through innovative programs and interactive displays.
See the animals from beneath the surface of the water at Tidewater Cove, splash around at the Lighthouse Point Splash Pad, watch a Seal & Sea Lion training demonstration, and grab a bite to eat at Shoreline Grill. All of these offerings can be found at the Rocky Shores exhibit.
Range:
Native to North America, from Alaska and Northwest Territories to Florida.
Habitat:
Most often found near lakes, rivers and coasts.
Characteristics:
The bald eagle is the largest raptor in Utah and second only to the Condor in North America. As with most raptors, the female is larger than the male. The adult plumage is attained gradually over a 4-5 year period and is dark brown on the body with a white head and tail. First-year juvenile birds have a dark brown plumage mottled with white, particularly on the underparts. The beak and eyes of the juvenile are dark brown and gradually change to yellow as the bird matures.
Behavior:
Bald eagles are large, aggressive, vocal raptors who often use communal roost sites, except during the breeding season. Although very efficient hunters, bald eagles are very piratical in their feeding habits, and often steal prey from other birds. In Utah, they arrive in November and typically stay until the end of February. Bald eagles that winter in Utah return to western Canada in the spring.
Reproduction:
Bald eagles mate for life. Aerial courtship displays often include “talon grappling,” a series of descending somersaults the pair performs with their feet locked together. Nests are generally used year after year, and may reach enormous proportions. One nest measured 8.5 feet in diameter, was 12 feet tall and weighed an estimated 8.5 tons. Nests are most often built in trees but may be found on cliffs or even on the ground in treeless areas. 2-3 large eggs are laid in the grass or seaweed-lined nest and are incubated for 35 days. Eaglets generally take their first flight at 2.5-3 months of age and the parental care period continues for the next 2-3 months.
Interesting Facts:
All birds of prey are protected by Federal and State laws. It is illegal to own any part of one of these birds, including the feathers, without a permit.
Though fish is the preferred food, but are known to also kill small mammals, primarily when waterways freeze on their wintering grounds. When hunting for fish, they will fly low over the water’s surface, extend their feet and snatch up the fish. They rarely dive into the water as osprey do. They often feed on carrion such as road-killed deer and beached sea mammals.
Range:
Grizzly bears can be found in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories; and the US states of Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming, Washington and Montana.
Habitat:
Inhabits dense forest, arctic tundra and sub-alpine mountain regions.
Characteristics:
The fur of a grizzly bear ranges from white to cinnamon to black, but most often is some shade of brown. They have long front claws, ranging in length from three to six inches. They easily recognized by the large muscle mass located between their shoulders. These muscles give the bears tremendous power and strength. In fact, grizzlies have been known to move several tons of dirt while excavating a winter den site. The hump on grizzlies is also a good means of identification because the black bear shoulder muscle is hardly visible.
It also has a concave outline to the head and snout, small ears on a massive head, and high shoulders that produce a sloping back line. The bear’s sense of smell is much more acute than its hearing and sight.
Behavior:
Grizzlies are generally solitary bears except females with cubs. One exception is that huge gatherings of grizzly bears often occur during the annual salmon run for summer spawning. During this period of time, dozens of bears gather and feast on fresh, fatty salmon. The fish provide the necessary nutrients for grizzlies heading into winter.
Grizzlies have an excellent sense of smell and will use their powerful nose to detect prey, sense danger, find suitable foods, locate mates, find their cubs and avoid people. They can smell carrion (dead flesh) miles away without any wind and will travel over mountains, across rivers or through a dense forest to find it. They will often stand up on their hind legs to get a better smell or a better view of something.
When Grizzly bears get ready for hibernation in the winter, they begin gorging carbohydrate-rich berries and other foods, to put on weight during the summer. They may gain as much as 30 pounds per week. Each year they may return to the same den, which is usually within a sheltered slope, under a large rock, or within the roots of a large tree. During hibernation, their body temperature drops, and their general metabolic rate decreases as well. This is not considered complete hibernation. They will occasionally emerge from their dens to forage, particularly during spells of warm weather or during years when food is scarce prior to denning.
Reproduction:
Breeding occurs in May or June after 2 to 15 days of courtship. Female grizzlies usually give birth to two cubs during denning in January or February. They stay in their dens until springtime, when the cubs have reached about 20 pounds. Once they are out in the world, they remain with their mother for at least two more years.
Interesting Facts:
Grizzly bears can run up to 35 miles per hour! A grizzly’s large muscular hump on its shoulders and long front claws make the bear an excellent digger.
Conservation:
Grizzly bear populations have been reduced nearly to the point of extinction from habitat destruction and over-harvesting, but grizzly population has remained stable for the past 20 years, but there are probably fewer than 1,000 bears left in the western United States. They are currently classified as a “threatened” species. Grizzly bears are now facing new threats from climate change that is impacting food sources such as white-bark pine, cutthroat trout and miller moths.
With less food availability, the likelihood that the bears will to turn to human sources for food and face more human-bear conflicts is also increased, further threatening their survival. The bears that live here at Utah’s Hogle Zoo were orphaned in the wild after their mother had difficulty finding enough food to keep her family alive. She became a nuisance bear and had to be put down, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and Association of Zoos and Aquariums worked together to find a new home for her cubs. You can help protect grizzly bears by being “bear aware” when you share their habitat and by helping to keep streams and rivers free of pollution.
Range:
East and west coasts of the United States and Canada, as well as off the coasts of northern Europe, Russia and Japan.
Habitat:
Live in temperate coastal habitats and haul out on rocks, reefs, beaches, and drifting glacial ice.
Characteristics:
Pacific harbor seals have spotted coats in a variety of shades from white or silver-gray to black or dark brown. They have glands in the skin that secretes oil which helps waterproof the hair.
To swim the seals move their hind flippers side-to-side to propel themselves in water. The hind flippers also function as a rudder. They cannot rotate their hind flippers underneath their bodies like a sea lion and must move on land by flopping along on their bellies. This behavior makes them look a bit like a giant caterpillar.
Harbor seals often use their semi-flattened back teeth for crushing shells and crustaceans. Whiskers grow from the thick pads of the seals upper lips and cheeks. Each is attached to muscle and supplied with blood and nerves. These sensitive whiskers grow throughout the seals lives and pick up vibrations in the water. This helps them to find food and avoid predators.
Behavior:
Unlike other pinnipeds, harbor seals are generally solitary and rarely interact with one another outside of the breeding season. They maintain several feet of space between seals, even when hauled out on land. If touched by another harbor seal, they respond by growling, snorting, flipper-slapping and even biting.
Pacific harbor seals spend about half their time on land and half in water. Studies show that, within a season, harbor seals tend to return to one or two particular haul-out sites with regularity. The preferred sites may change seasonally.
Harbor seals can dive to depths of over 650 feet and search for food without surfacing for up to 30 minutes, although their average dive lasts three to seven minutes and is typically shallow.
Reproduction:
Mating season generally occurs in late spring through fall. Males and females exhibit pre-mating courtship that includes rolling, bubble-blowing, and mouthing each others necks.
Harbor seals have a total gestation of about 9 to 11 months. Most pups are born in February through July depending on their latitude. Females generally give birth to one pup each year either on land or in the water. Unlike sea lion pups, seal pups can swim at birth.
Interesting Facts:
In the water they often sleep at the surface. They bob at the surface in a posture called bottling – their entire bodies remain submerged with just their heads exposed. This makes it easier to breathe when necessary. They will also sleep below the surface and on land.
Conservation:
Worldwide, the harbor seal population is estimated at 500,000 individuals. They are not considered an endangered or threatened species, however, they do face threats by humans. Spring brings harbor seal colonies to rookery, or birthing beaches, that are accessible to humans. The mother may also choose to abandon her pup if she feels threatened. Harbor seals are marine mammals and are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. It is illegal to harass, touch or harm a harbor seal.
Another threat to harbor seals is discarded plastic and other human debris. Seals are very curious and will often approach trash in the ocean and become entangled in it. Young seals may mistake it for food and eat it which can make them sick. Help keep all wildlife safe by putting trash where it belongs!
Range:
U.S. (Alaska), Canada, Russia, Greenland, and Norway.
Habitat:
Lives on Arctic ice, tundra, woodlands and along coastal shores.
Characteristics:
Compared to other bears, polar bears have more slender bodies and longer necks and heads. Their coat can vary from pure white to yellow to light brown depending upon season and angle of light. Their hind limbs are longer than the forelimbs. This makes their large, muscular hind end stand higher than the shoulders. Their paw pads are furred and are covered with small bumps called papillae to keep them from slipping on ice.
A polar bear’s fur coat is about 1-2 inches thick. A dense, woolly, insulating layer of under hair is covered by a relatively thin layer of stiff, shiny, hollow guard hairs. Guard hairs may be as long as 6 inches. The hair is hollow and is translucent, but appears white because of light reflection.
The fur is oily and water repellant. It doesn’t mat when wet and allows the bear to easily shake off water or ice. A polar bear’s skin is black. The black color enables the bear to absorb sunlight energy to warm its body. They also have a thick fat layer.
Behavior:
Polar bears are active any time of the day or night. On bitterly cold days, they might dig a hole, curl up and even cover their noses with their paws to keep warm. In warmer weather they might also burrow into the earth to keep cool.
Polar bears can move very quickly when necessary—up to 24 miles per hour for short distances. To find their food, the bears locate breathing holes with their powerful sense of smell and wait patiently for the seals to rise—from hours to days.
Polar bears depend on ice for access to their prey. In the summer when the ice floes retreat, polar bears follow the ice—sometimes traveling hundreds of miles—to stay with their food source. If they are not able to get onto the ice and become stranded on land they must wait until the ice forms again. During this time they are opportunistic feeders and eat what’s available. They often lose large amounts of weight when stranded.
When seal hunting is good, polar bears eat only the blubber and skin. They can eat 100 pounds of blubber in a single sitting. Younger, less experienced bears devour the remains, as do arctic foxes.
Polar bears spend a great deal of time grooming. In the summer they will take a swim after feeding and in the winter will roll around in the snow to clean their fur. They will also lick their paws and fur to keep it clean.
Polar bears are strong swimmers and divers. They will swim across bays or wide leads without hesitation and can swim for several hours at a time over long distances, sometimes for up to 62 miles. A polar bear’s front paws propel them through the water dog-paddle style. The hind feet and legs are held flat and are used as rudders and can reach a swimming speed of 6 miles per hour.
When swimming, the bear’s nostrils close to keep water from entering their lungs. This adaptation aides them when making shallow dives when stalking prey, navigating ice floes, or searching for kelp. They swim beneath the surface of the water at depths up to 14 feet and can hold their breath for up to two minutes. The generally do not dive deeper than 20 feet. They are well insulated to survive the cold water temperatures and will also swim to cool down on warm days or after physical activity.
Reproduction:
Polar bears are solitary animals and mating takes place on the ice in April or May, but the fertile egg do not implant until the following fall. This is called delayed implantation. Usually two cubs are born between December and January. Milk from polar bear mothers is 35 percent fat, the richest milk of any species of bear. This helps the cubs grow quickly, and by April they weigh more than 20 pounds and start exploring with their mother outside the den. At about two years of age they are ready to be on their own.
Interesting Facts:
Polar bears are built to stay so warm in their cold habitat that sometimes they overheat, and have to cool off in the cold Arctic waters. Polar bears can see well underwater, spotting potential meals 15 feet away. These remarkable bears have a transparent eyelid (nictitating membrane) that work like a pair of sunglasses filtering out the excessive brightness of snow and sun. They also work as waterproof goggles underwater. Polar bears are inactive about 87% of the time, living off stored fat. They can go into a “walking hibernation” as a survival mechanism when food sources become scarce.
Conservation:
Today’s polar bears are facing rapid loss of the sea ice where they hunt, breed, and, in some cases, den. Changes in their distribution or numbers affect the entire Arctic ecosystem. Scientists believe that we still have time to save polar bears if we significantly reduce greenhouse emissions within the next few years. Yet it will take 30 to 40 years for changes reversing the warming trend to show. You can help by doing simple things like unplugging unused electronics like computers, driving less and by planting trees.
Polar Bears are one of Utah’s Hogle Zoo’s Big 6 species. To learn more about Polar Bear conservation, CLICK HERE
Range:
Canada and the United States, including Alaska.
Habitat:
Found in streams, lakes, reservoirs, wetlands and along marine coasts that have vegetation or rock piles along the banks.
Characteristics:
River otter tails help to steer the otters as they swim through the water or slide down hills. Their faces are rounded with sturdy whiskers to aide in finding food. Their eyes located close together and have a third clear eyelid or nictitating membrane that helps protect their eye as they swim.
They rely on their senses, especially their excellent vision (both above and below water) to locate prey. Ears and nostrils are both small and can close underwater. Oil glands in their skin helps to waterproof their fur to keep them dry and warm in the water. Their nose is large and helps distinguish the North American river otter from other otters.
Behavior:
River otters are members of the mustelidae or weasel family and hunt at night. When swimming, otters leave a trail of bubbles of air that was trapped between their two layers of fur. These two layers of fur provide excellent insulation, make the otters resistant to cold, and help to keep their skin dry.
North American river otters communicate in a variety of ways. They vocalize with whistles, growls, chuckles, and screams. They also use touch and communicate through posture and other body signals.
North American river otters have playful, sociable personalities. They love sliding down icy or muddy slopes, especially when their routes land them in the water. These otters also display curiosity; they approach new visitors with their noses held high in suspicion.
North American river otters exist in small groups usually consisting of unrelated males or a mother and her cubs. If resources are plentiful, the species can form larger groups as well. Sliding on slippery slopes and splashing around in the water are common games mothers play with their young. These activities help cubs develop survival skills and increase sociability.
Reproduction:
Males and females come together to breed in late winter or early spring. The gestation lasts two months, but the young may be born up to a year after mating because these otters exhibit delayed implantation. Kits are born between November and May. Females give birth to from one to six kits per litter, with an average of two to three, in a den near the water. Kits first take to the water when they are two months old, and are natural swimmers. Between six months and a year of age they will leave their birth range.
Interesting Facts:
North American river otters can dive to depths of 60 feet. They remain active in winter, using ice holes to surface and breathe. They can hold their breath underwater for up to eight minutes.
Conservation:
North American river otters have been hunted for many years for their fur. Trapping and water pollution removed otters through many parts of their range, especially around heavily populated areas in the mid-western and eastern United States. Their populations have stabilized in recent years and reintroduction and conservation efforts have resulted in recolonization of areas where they were previously removed. Utah is one of the states where river otters have been released back into their former native habitats.
American river otters are important parts of healthy, aquatic ecosystems. Finding river otters along a stream or river is a sign of clean water. Otters rely on water that will support fish and other prey.
Range:
West coast of North America, from British Columbia south to Baja California and the Sea of Cortez.
Habitat:
Inhabit rocky and sandy beaches of coastal islands and mainland shorelines along the coasts.
Characteristics:
California sea lions are characterized by a streamlined body and powerful flippers. California sea lions range in color from chocolate brown in males to a lighter, golden brown in females. They have a “dog-like” face, and at around five years of age, males develop a bony bump on top of their skull called a sagittal crest and often gets lighter in color with age. California sea lions do not have lion-like manes like other sea lion species. California sea lions also have thick layers of blubber to insulate their bodies from the chilly ocean waters.
They are capable of reaching speeds of up to 25 miles per hour but generally swim at much slower speeds. When diving, California sea lions slow their heart rates to allow them to remain underwater for nearly ten minutes before surfacing to breathe. They also have a much higher blood volume than non-diving animals of the same size. This creates a greater oxygen binding capacity. During a dive, the blood is shunted or moved away from their extremities and concentrated in the heart and central nervous system. The muscle of California sea lions has a high concentration of the oxygen-binding protein myoglobin to help prevent muscle oxygen deficiency. These adaptations allow them to dive to depths of 899 feet.
Behavior:
Sea lions are very social animals and live in colonies that may number in the thousands, especially during the breeding season. They often gather on rocky beaches, and on man-made structures such as docks. They frequently lie near and on top of each other. California sea lions frequently interact with other sea lion species in much the same way as they interact among themselves.
In the water, they are often seen floating on the surface in small groups called rafts. To regulate their body temperatures, sea lions raise their flippers out of the water. The blood vessels absorb or release heat to the environment, a little bit like a solar panel.
Younger sea lions, more playful than adults, ride the surf and chase each other. They are sometimes seen “porpoising,” or jumping out of the water, presumably to speed up their swimming. Sea lions have also been seen “surfing” breaking waves. They are faster than any other sea lion or seal. They can reach top swimming speeds of 25 miles an hour.
Reproduction:
Males arrive on the breeding grounds before females and set up territories, which they defend aggressively. Females arrive and segregate into harems of 3-40 individuals, depending on the size and strength of the male. Soon after they arrive, females give birth to pups from the previous year’s breeding season. Mating takes place on land with a period of delayed implantation to ensure that the young will be born in a year, when the breeding herds form again. Males patrol territories and bark almost continuously during the breeding season.
The gestation is about 11 months and usually give birth to a single pup. They stay with their newborn for several days, before returning to the sea to feed, returning every few days to nurse their young. Females often give birth in large pupping ground. A single rookery may include as 200 sea lion pups.
To find her pup, the mother vocalizes, listening for a bleat in response. When she thinks she has located it, she inspects the pup by sight and smell before letting it nurse. Over time, mothers and their young swim together more and more; the young are weaned at about 11 to 12 months of age.
Interesting Facts:
California sea lions are among the most vocal mammals. Their vocalizations include barks, roars, growls, and grunts. Pups molt twice in the first six months of their life, while adults molt annually, shedding and replacing their guard hairs and underfur.
Get up close and personal with the animals underneath the surface of the water inside Tidewater Cove. This indoor area shows guests how aquatic mammals, like sea lions and Polar bears, interact in the water. Guests will also have the opportunity to learn about the importance of the ocean and its vital role in the earth’s ecosystems.
Jump through water streams, zoom down the lighthouse slide, and cool off from the hot summer sun at the Lighthouse Point Splash Pad. Open during the summer months. Lighthouse Point Splash Pad is FREE for all zoo guests.
Watch from the shoreline as our Rocky Shores keepers work with our seals and sea lions in a husbandry training session. Learn about our amazing pinnipeds and how our staff works to keep them healthy and happy. Most of all, get a glimpse of each animal’s unique personality, and their adaptations for living in a marine environment, and discover what you can do to help their relatives in the wild. See the Daily Schedule on Instagram stories for times.