Two Californian sea lions, Sofia and her daughter Cali, have moved into Colchester Zoo's pool, empty since March. The zoo has also announced a degree course with Suffolk.
Sea lions are back at Colchester Zoo. Two Californian sea lions, Sofia and her daughter Cali, have moved into the pool at Stanway that has stood empty since March.
The zoo announced their arrival on 21 September. The zoo calls them an entirely new species for its collection. Its previous sea lions were Patagonian.
Meet Sofia and Cali
The pair have come from Welsh Mountain Zoo in Colwyn Bay. According to the zoo:
- Sofia is 16. She was born at Rotterdam Zoo and had lived at Welsh Mountain Zoo since 2012.
- Cali is four. She was born at Welsh Mountain Zoo and has moved with her mother.
Californian sea lions are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with numbers rising, the zoo says.
Kirsty Lawman, who leads the zoo’s sea lion section, said the team were “so excited to have Sea Lions back at the zoo”. She said keepers are looking forward to “getting them back into training”.
Why the pool was empty
The zoo lost its last four Patagonian sea lions over the past 18 months.
- Atlanta died on 13 April 2025, in her mid-20s. She had arrived in November 2003 and spent more than 20 years at the zoo, the zoo said at the time.
- Winnipeg was put to sleep early in 2026.
- Sydney and Milan, the last two, were put to sleep on 6 March 2026 because of their age and welfare, according to the zoo’s announcement.
What has changed in the habitat
The pool dates from 2003. The zoo’s own maintenance, animal care and education staff reworked it over the spring and summer. The zoo’s April update listed the changes:
- a bigger beach, with a new covered area for shade
- upgraded indoor houses behind the scenes, for training and health checks
- improvements to the filter system, which cleans the half a million gallon pool every two hours
- larger viewing windows, so younger children can see in
- new interactive activities and signs
The underwater tunnel is still there. The zoo now calls the area Sealion Shores.
A zoo degree taught partly at Stanway
A second piece of zoo news landed the same week. On 24 September the zoo and the University of Suffolk announced a new degree, a BSc (Hons) in Zoo Science and Management.
- It starts in September 2027.
- Students spend about half their time at the zoo and half on the Ipswich campus.
- Final-year students can join a residential trip to the Umphafa Nature Reserve in South Africa, which the zoo’s charity manages.
- Zoo staff and people at other wildlife organisations can take some modules as professional training.
Andy Moore, the zoo’s director of science, education and training, said the course was “a new route for local people to access higher education and gain real-world experience”. Fees and entry requirements are set by the university; see uos.ac.uk.
Earlier in the month the zoo also brought in a mobile CT scanner from Burgess Diagnostics. Ten animals were scanned on 27 August, including two aardvarks, a red panda and a sloth.
What it means for you
- You can see the sea lions now. They are on show at Sealion Shores, including from the underwater tunnel. The zoo says the pair are still settling in.
- Plan a winter visit. The zoo stays open every day except Christmas Day. Our winter opening times guide has the closing times and ticket prices.
- Thinking about a zoo career? The degree takes its first students in September 2027. Check the University of Suffolk’s course pages for entry details.
Colchester Zoo is run by Colchester Zoological Society, a charity, and sits on Maldon Road in Stanway.
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