Rendering courtesy of the Saint Louis Zoo
When it opens June 30, the Saint Louis Zoo’s Sea Lion Sound will become the first exhibit in North America that allows visitors to observe the playful creatures from an underwater tunnel. Jim Moorkamp and John Kemper, designers with St. Louis–based firm PGAV (the same company that created the zoo’s popular Penguin & Puffin Coast), worked hard to ensure that every detail will enhance animals’ and visitors’ experiences alike. The resulting $18 million exhibit could transform the way that landlocked St. Louis sees sea lions.
Complementary Facilities: Lichtenstein Sea Lion Arena will be back-to-back with the exhibit, allowing the zoo to share food and staff—and even sea lions. “Now they have the ability to grow a show animal out of that exhibit,” Moorkamp says.
A Two-Way Window: Though sea lions’ color perception is limited to a blue-green spectrum, they can peer back through the underwater viewing window and see those on the outside looking in. “I’ve watched a sea lion follow a little girl for 15 minutes at a time,” says Kemper. “If you whirl something of interest along the window,” adds Moorkamp, “they’ll chase it.”
High-Quality H2O: The saltwater’s quality is key. “There’s a whole cascade of things that happen to keep this water crystal-clear,” explains Kemper. Waste is removed through a series of sand filters, while another system helps keep the temperature a steady 55 degrees. “We’re trying to mimic what’s going on in their natural environment,” adds Kemper.
Split Personality: A new underwater vantage point will allow visitors to observe another side of sea lions—one that wasn’t always apparent in the past. “They kind of have two different personalities,” Kemper says. “When they’re above water, they’re almost clumsy or awkward. When they’re below water, it’s like a flock of birds, moving gracefully and quickly.”
Sea Becomes Sky: A 35-foot-long underwater acrylic tunnel provides the ideal spot to witness the sea lions’ agile twists and turns. “Their behavior underwater is unbelievable. It’s like they’re little fighter pilots, like dogfighters in World War II, rolling and twisting and turning,” says Moorkamp. “When you’re in the tube, they’re going to be flying around you—almost like a flock of birds.”
Interactive Shows: In the amphitheater, a rock bridge will extend toward the audience. “The notion of bringing the animals into the audience is breaking the plane,” says Kemper, noting that he hasn’t seen such a feature in the U.S. “We’re bringing things to St. Louis that haven’t been done in this area.”
Realistic Rocks: A team of designers visited the sea lions’ native Pacific Northwest to ensure the exhibit’s fabricated rocks had the correct color, form, and texture. After all, says Moorkamp, “you want to provide a place for the sea lions to scratch their backs.”
Room to Roam: A range of depths in the 250,000-gallon pool lets the sea lions plunge deep or stay close to the surface. “It allows them to use all the muscles they use in the wild,” says Moorkamp. “It’s about designing a place where they can do their natural behaviors.”
