Loki, a seal born at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre in St. Andrews, N.B., has died at the advanced age of 29, the aquarium announced.
In a thread of tweets posted on Monday, the not-for-profit organization said Loki peacefully passed away in the presence of his caretakers, veterinarians and son Snorkel.
The average lifespan of a seal in the wild is 15 to 25 years, making Loki’s 29-year life a notable span.
“Loki was very gentle and curious – often playfully chasing the diver’s fins during tank-cleaning and ‘standing’ on the bottom to spy on our Aquarist while she worked downstairs,” one of the tweets from Huntsman Marine read.
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“Loki greeted more than 390,000 visitors to the Fundy Discovery Aquarium during his time here.”
Following his birth at the Huntsman Marine in May 1993, Loki moved to Storybook Gardens, an amusement park in London, Ont., before returning with his son Snorkel in 2009.
Laura Barrett, an education and outreach supervisor at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre, said the organization has received lots of support from aquarium-goers following the announcement of Loki’s passing.
“People have sent us some private messages about being around when Loki was a young pup, and then bringing their kids to see them later on,” she said.
“There’s been some really nice messages that we’ve received today from people that have grown up with him.”
Barrett said Loki played the role of the “older gentleman” in his later years, and often would be seen resting as his 16-year-old son, Snorkel, would be the more active out of the two.
The Huntsman Marine Science Centre said it will continue to mourn the loss of the beloved seal in the coming days at the Fundy Discovery Aquarium.