ZooNooz Article - DECEMBER 2007

A moving marine experience

Be one of the first to explore a seldom-seen wilderness right here in Sydney. DARCY SHEDDEN gives us a sneak peek at the Great Southern Oceans precinct - opening early 2008.

Photographs Cathy Hattersley, Scott Howard, Tracey Rogers and Rick Stevens.

The Great Southern Ocean encircles the continent of Antarctica and stretches to the southernmost tips of Australia, Africa and South America. Alternating between gale force winds and stark silence, the vast, frigid waters are characterised by enormous expanses of sea-ice and distinctive wildlife. Seen as one of the most productive marine ecosystems left in the world today, the Great Southern Ocean is truly one of the last great wild places on earth.

Soon we will be able to explore this seldom seen wilderness right here in Sydney when Taronga brings the world above (and below) the surface to life in the magnificent, new Great Southern Oceans precinct.

Opening in early 2008, this interactive exhibit takes you on a polar safari, allowing you to encounter the rugged environment and its amazing animals up close. As well as several viewing pools and a new 950-seat Seal Theatre, visitors will also have the opportunity to swim with the seals in a specially designed seal encounter pool! The internationally recognised Australian Marine Mammal Research Centre will be based in the precinct, and visitors will be able to board an "underwater research vessel" and learn about the work being carried out by modern-day marine scientists.

All of Taronga's current marine mammals and birds will soon call this state-of-the-art precinct home, becoming more visible and accessible to the public than ever before. Taronga's five Australian Sea-lions, two Australian Fur-seals, two Californian Sea-lions and two New Zealand Fur-seals, as well as our magnificent Leopard-seals, will have their own ponds with enormous underwater viewing areas, allowing us to see them at their best.

Our Fiordland Crested Penguins will join the mob of Little Penguins in a fabulous new exhibit, where the innovative design allows visitors to observe not only their above-ground antics, but their perfect, underwater swimming skills as well. Australian Pelicans, the largest pelicans in the world, will also have their own little corner.

Moving the animals from their current locations in the zoo to their new home will be a logistical operation in itself. The larger seals are being trained to climb into crates in readiness for their move by truck, while some of the smaller seals will simply go for a walk through the zoo (as they have done before, very secretly, to take quick dips in the elephant pools before Gung and his girls arrived in Australia). The birds will all hop into carry boxes and emerge minutes later in their spectacular new world. It's hard to know who will be the more ecstatic - the animals or the keepers, who have been planning and looking forward to these moments for years!

Conservation and climate change are the themes of the 1.2-hectare exhibit, as is educating the public about our particular marine animals. So, let's have a closer look at some residents!

Very rare in the wild, Australian Sea-Lions are found in the waters off South and Western Australia. The dark-brown male is almost twice the size of the silvery-grey female. Pups are born only every few years and this, combined with excessive hunting in the 19th century (before they became a protected species), is the most likely cause of their small numbers.

Californian Sea-lions, like our Michi and Andy, are some of the most numerous of the world's sealions. They are very intelligent and adaptable, which is the reason they are often showcased in marine shows.

Along with visible ear flaps, their strong front flippers and rotating hind flippers are features that distinguish sea-lions from true seals. Their flexible hind flippers enable them to "walk" quite well on land, and their strong front flippers give them the ability to execute their famous "flipper-stand"- which you can see at the marine show.

On the other hand, true seals, like our Leopard-seals, have no visible ear flaps and come equipped with small front flippers and fixed hind flippers. When they move, they bounce along on their belly like a caterpillar.

Named for the spots on their fur, Leopard-seals live almost exclusively on the pack ice of the Antarctic. They have been portrayed as the "villain" in recent Antarctic movies - and truth be told, they are quite deserving of their reputation! They are fierce hunters, using their long, sharp canine teeth and unusually loose jaws (that can open very wide) to attack anything edible. Smaller seals, fish and birds (including the odd duck or gull - as occasionally demonstrated by our very well-fed Brooke) are all part of their natural diet.

Little (or Fairy) Penguins have been bred at the zoo for many years in an effort to help re-colonise the local population at Manly - where numbers had dropped to about 35 animals in 1996. Found along the southern Australian and New Zealand coastlines, these are the smallest penguin species. They feed on fish and krill in the ocean during the day, before returning to their nests at dusk. Dogs, cats, foxes and sadly, humans, are the biggest threats to their survival on the mainland.

The rarest penguin on earth is the Fiordland Crested - and Taronga is the only zoo in the world to be caring for a breeding "trio". Late last year, Mr Munro was bought to Taronga Zoo after he was found washed up on a beach and badly injured following an epic 2,000 kilometre swim from New Zealand. Unable to be returned to the wild, he now calls Taronga home.

He has since been introduced to our two resident females. Taronga is about to embark on an important breeding program with these three to help us learn more about breeding patterns in the species and to provide valuable information on creating a stable population for the future.

So mark your calendars and be one of the first to journey to the Great Southern Oceans - an exciting exhibit combining fun and exploration with educational information and unique wildlife experiences.

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