Tillie, Maritime Aquarium’s ‘adored’ harbor seal, dies at 37
NORWALK — Tillie, an “adored harbor seal” at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, died Thursday, aquarium officials said.
The seal was one of the oldest in the aquarium’s population and gained fame after she gave actor Paul Newman a kiss in July 1997, according to a statement from the aquarium.
Tillie was 37 years old and was considered geriatric in age, the statement said, and her health had slowly been declining over the last few weeks.
“Many of our seals are getting on in age, which can go hand in hand with common medical issues like cataracts, arthritis and cancer,” Jim Micinilio, one of the veterinarians for The Maritime Aquarium, said in a statement. “It’s not that different from how people age.”
Tillie’s death comes just three weeks after the death of Ariel, another beloved harbor seal who died at 33 years old, the statement said.
The majority of The Maritime Aquarium’s harbor seal population is considered geriatric in age, with an average life expectancy of around 25 years old in human care, and even lower in the wild. “Their long and healthy lives are a credit to the extraordinary care and compassion given by our best in class Animal Husbandry team,” the statement said.
The animal husbandry team worked to support Tillie and keep her comfortable through her remaining last days at the aquarium, officials said. Medical care for their seal population includes annual physical exams, weekly check-ins with our veterinarians, monthly weight monitoring, and regular diagnostic testing including blood and tissue samples, the statement said.
Tillie was born at Mystic Aquarium on May 30, 1986, to Susie, who was a resident at the aquarium from 1988 until her death in 2016. She came to The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk in November of 1988, according to the statement.
She was known for her sweet personality, petite stature and big eyes, was very close with her trainers and was always looking for them both in and out of the water, the statement said.
The aquarium’s animal husbandry and veterinary teams were awaiting the results of Tillie’s necropsy to determine the cause of her death, according to the statement.
Aquarium visitors can share memories and photos on Tillie’s memorial page at www.kudoboard.com/boards/um45wuPs.