Beloved Harbor Seal Dies At 40, Mourned By Norwalk Aquarium

NORWALK, CT — Rasal, a beloved harbor seal at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk and one of the oldest in human care, died Thursday at the age of 40, the aquarium announced this week.

In a news release, Maritime Aquarium officials said they were "deeply saddened" to announce the passing of Rasal, who spent nearly two decades in Norwalk inspiring guests, mentoring trainers and leading her fellow seals with intelligence, grace and courage.

"Rasal was incredibly smart, one of the smartest seals I've ever worked with," Director of Animal Husbandry Rachel Stein said in a news release. "She knew so many behaviors and performed them with such consistency and enthusiasm. She taught generations of trainers, and she taught us with patience and confidence."

According to the aquarium, Rasal died due to age-related health complications.

At 40 years old, she far exceeded the typical life expectancy of harbor seals in human care, which is approximately 22 years, placing her among the five oldest known in the country, according to the aquarium.

Aquarium officials also noted her long life is a testament to the excellent care she received from the Maritime Aquarium's animal husbandry team.

Born in 1985 and rescued as a pup off the coast of Maine, Rasal came to the Maritime Aquarium in 2005 from Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

Over the past two decades, Rasal became a cornerstone of the aquarium's seal exhibit and a favorite among staff and guests alike. She is also believed to have spent time in the Navy's Marine Mammal Program, according to the aquarium.

Dylan Salamone, assistant curator at the aquarium and one of Rasal's trainers, described the beloved harbor seal as a colleague and noted she was the seal with whom most young trainers first learned how to train.

"When I was a child visiting the aquarium, Rasal was the one I remembered," Salamone said in a news release. "Years later, I had the honor of working with her, and being with her at the end of her life was incredibly special. Her passing marks the end of a beautiful era here at the aquarium."

Rasal's intelligence was matched only by her charisma, curiosity and boldness. She was the first to explore new areas of the facility's Pinniped Cove exhibit and try new behaviors, and was often the one the aquarium's other seals followed, according to the aquarium.

Rasal was perhaps best know for her impressive streak of Super Bowl predictions, a yearly tradition at the aquarium every February in which she would make a selection from two balls thrown into the exhibit in order to choose what team she thought would win that year's big game.

According to the aquarium, Rasal correctly picked the winning team for three years in a row.

Earlier this year, she definitively picked the Philadelphia Eagles to triumph over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, which proved correct.

This year marked Rasal's seventh Super Bowl prediction at the aquarium. Her personal record for accurate predictions, 4-3, is slightly better than the seals' overall record of 6-7, according to additional press materials provided by the aquarium in February.

Rasal's impact also extended far beyond the exhibit.

According to the aquarium, she inspired thousands of guests to care about marine life and helped to shape the Maritime Aquarium seal program into what it is today.

"Her presence was foundational as the aquarium evolved," the aquarium's statement reads, "welcoming new seals, new exhibits and new generations of staff. Her loss will be felt immensely."