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New home for seals and fur seals: seal facility opened at Rostock Zoo!
On July 2, 2025, Rostock Zoo will open a new seal enclosure for animal welfare and environmental education with interactive exhibitions.
New home for seals and fur seals: seal facility opened at Rostock Zoo!
The new seal enclosure was ceremoniously opened at Rostock Zoo on July 2, 2025, finally presenting itself after two years of construction. Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig and Mayor Eva-Maria Kröger were among the numerous guests who attended the festive event. The Warnemünder reports that this new home is considered a benchmark for animal welfare, education and species protection.
The highlight of the facility is an impressive community pool filled with 1,550 cubic meters of salt water and providing an optimal habitat for both seals and South African fur seals. Two backstage pools ensure that the animals can live in the best possible conditions. Visitors can watch the animals swimming and feeding through large viewing windows, making the experience all the more captivating. Salt water is treated in a brine tank with up to 30 tons of evaporated salt and a salt content of 2-3%.
Interactive experiences for visitors
The seal facility not only includes pools and stable buildings, but also a technical center and an exhibition area with a covered stand. An interactive exhibition awaits visitors. Here you can learn more about the life of seals at various stations and find out about seal occurrences on a globe. The entire complex is barrier-free and designed like a beach, with planted islands and natural stones.
Four seals are currently at home in the new facility: seal Sammy, who is four years old, seal Gizmo, who is already 24 years old, as well as the soon-to-be-returned female seal Susi, who is 36 years old, and two newly added South African fur seals, Alfie and Eda from Wroclaw and Prague. The facility is planned in such a way that it is ideally equipped for future offspring.
A celebration for the whole family
The zoo has prepared an exciting opening program for the coming weekend on July 5th and 6th, which runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. In addition to face painting, there is a seal quiz and a wheel of fortune just waiting to be spun. Show feeding of the animals is also offered, which is certainly a highlight for visitors young and old. Zoo director Antje Angeli expressed confidence about the reactions of visitors and the opportunity to promote environmental education through such projects.
The new seals have finally arrived in their new home. Sammy and Gizmo have been back at the Rostock Zoo for a week and are having fun with their new companions, the South African fur seals. The first encounters were exciting, and after initial separations, the animals can now play with each other in the large tank. Nordkurier reports that the animal keepers, led by Lars Purbst, take intensive care of the animals.
The opening of the seal facility comes at a time when species protection and awareness of endangered species are becoming increasingly important. NABU and the Association of Zoological Gardens are committed to the protection and preservation of endangered species and support nature and species protection through joint projects. Zoos play an important role in environmental education and can raise awareness of these important topics among around 45 million visitors every year.