Seattle Aquarium staff on Friday euthanized Barney, a “super senior” harbor seal who flipped and glided through blue-green seawater for 39 years, delighting visitors who watched from the other side of the exhibit.
Barney showed signs of “an acute decline,” the aquarium said in a post on its website.
The seal “had been doing well,” but the staff decided to euthanize him based on his health prognosis, the aquarium said.
Barney had celebrated his 39th birthday with a platter of fish and a colorful cake in September, marking the equivalent of 100 human years lived. He was the first harbor seal born at the Seattle Aquarium, in 1985, and was “cherished by all,” the staff wrote in the post.
He was easygoing and inquisitive, the staff remembered. In his later years, Barney enjoyed naps in the sunshine, getting his teeth brushed every day and chowing down on his favorite snacks.
“Thank you, Barney, for watching me grow, encouraging me to learn, allowing me to try to pay it all back in fish,” said staff member Cyren Guerrero in the post. She still has a photo of herself with Barney taken when she was a child. “Thank you Barney, thank you.”
