TACOMA, Wash. — A historic sea lion pup can now be seen by the public at Tacoma's Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium (PDZ).
Pepper, the zoo's first sea lion pup in its 119-year history, made her public debut Tuesday in the Rocky Shores seal and sea lion habitat.
Born on June 6, Pepper now weighs 31 pounds and continues to grow, according to the zoo.
“In recent weeks, she was gradually introduced to the other seals and sea lions behind the scenes, and they’ve all gotten along beautifully,” said curator Jen DeGroot, who also said Pepper is "fitting right in."
Some adult female sea lions can reach up to 250 pounds, but Pepper's mother Eloise weighs around 160 pounds.
Pepper is currently learning how to swim from her mother, as sea lions are not born with the ability to do so.
“Pepper has been a keen observer of Eloise and is a fast learner," DeGroot said in a release.
Eloise and Pepper's father, Boomer, arrived at PDZ in July 2019 after being rescued.
The zoo held a naming contest for the sea lion pup earlier this summer after she was born. The four finalists were Rosa, Marnie, Nori and Pepper, with Pepper being the ultimate choice.