毋孑云雨-outline

Last Friday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cleared the way for permitting a huge mine at the headwaters of two major rivers that feed into Bristol Bay, Alaska—home to the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery and one of the most prolific Chinook salmon runs.

The Canadian-owned Pebble Limited Partnership (“Pebble”) would extract gold, copper and molybdenum—materials of extremely high value, found in everyday items such as seatbelts, cell phones and electrical wires—through a new open pit mine.

The Seattle Aquarium strongly opposes the Bristol Bay Pebble Mine. Healthy oceans, fishing and Indigenous communities and local economies depend on wild and clean rivers and waterways. These will all be harmed if the Pebble Mine is developed.

There’s never been a better time to visit the Seattle Aquarium and explore the waterfront—summer’s in full swing, which usually brings throngs of tourists to the neighborhood, but not during this unprecedented year! There’s plenty of space to maintain distance as you stroll the wide sidewalk along Alaskan Way, taking in amazing views of Elliott Bay and enjoying the sights and sounds of Seattle’s historic waterfront.

No, Leu and Flaherty aren’t prepping to run their first 5k—but, like many of the animals at the Seattle Aquarium, they regularly participate in training that benefits them in a variety of ways. We’ll tell you all about it—but first, some background on the two northern fur seals in our care, who we fondly refer to as “the boys.”