Curious Seal Becomes Boston Aquarium's Newest Influencer After His Love for His Rubber Ducky Goes Viral

Reggae, a 33-year-old Atlantic harbor seal living at the New England Aquarium, has gained popularity for his adorable enrichment routine

NEED TO KNOW

• Reggae, the 33-year-old harbor seal, went viral for playing with a rubber duck at the New England Aquarium
• The marine mammal is also beloved for his easygoing attitude and love of attention from people
• The aquarium’s trainers say they use the ducks to provide mental enrichment to their Atlantic harbor seals and teach problem-solving skills through games

A seal at a Boston aquarium is making a big splash online after going viral for spending some enrichment time with his beloved rubber ducky.

In a post shared to Instagram by the New England Aquarium, Reggae, the 33-year-old harbor seal, chases after and kisses a rubber duck as it floats in his pool, with plenty of trainers standing nearby to help push his toy back in the right direction if it floats too far away.

"Ohhh to be a harbor seal with his rubber duckie! 🥹💛🦆," the caption reads.

The video quickly drew the attention of animal lovers. Marisa Bernal, the aquarium's social media manager, told Boston.com that Reggae's reel had already become the aquarium's second-best performing post on Instagram by March 9.

But as Reggae's trainers told the Associated Press, the seal's adorable rubber ducky serves a purpose beyond being a fun companion—it keeps him learning.

Rebekah Miller, the aquarium's manager overseeing the Atlantic harbor seals and California sea lions, told the AP that trainers teach Reggae games using his toy, which provides essential enrichment in his daily life.

"He can use his great vision to look around the habitat, find these new items, and he can also use his other senses to kind of explore," she explained to the outlet. "It's a great way to challenge our animals. We want to create challenges for them and really allow them to use those problem-solving skills that they have."

According to the aquarium, Reggae and the other harbor seals have enrichment sessions designed to stimulate mental activity and strengthen their relationships with trainers through play in their habitat, which is built to resemble a rocky New England coast.

"This rubber duckie is part of a cognitive behavior we call 'find it!'" the aquarium explained on social media. "Reggae is trained to search his exhibit for the duck, helping him learn to discriminate between different objects. It also adds variety to his playtime by introducing an item that isn't usually part of his environment, supporting both enrichment and learning."

"Marine mammals are incredibly intelligent. Reggae, of course, is no exception," Patty Leonard, the aquarium's associate curator of pinnipeds, told Boston.com.

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"In the wild, they would be looking for food," Leonard explained, adding that searching through a habitat is a common behavior for marine mammals like Reggae. "They are curious by nature, so we can really harness that experience with their training."

Although wild Atlantic harbor seals usually have a lifespan of about 25 to 30 years, according to NOAA Fisheries, Reggae and others at the New England Aquarium often boast lifespans as long as 30 to 40 years. The facility is home to five seals, all of which were born in captivity and share some lineage.

As for Reggae's life after going viral on social media, his trainers said that his brush with fame hasn't impacted his personality.

"We describe his personality as very mellow," trainer Liz Wait told the AP. "He's a very easygoing guy, he goes with the flow and he loves attention from people."

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