Original watercolor, the size of the painting is 12”x16” and with a mat 3” wide consisting of two layers for a total size of 18”x22”.  The colors of the mats have been carefully selected to complement and enhance the painting.

Newbie, a northern elephant seal, is pictured here at two different ages: as a blackcoat pup and as a weaned, independent animal. The Center rescued Newbie four miles south of Ano Nuevo, a northern elephant seal reserve. When I assessed him, he was probably less           than a week old. Newbie had been washed off the beach by a winter storm and became separated from his mother. While nursing, northern elephant seal mothers loose about two pounds for every pound the pup gains. The pup is born weighing 60-80 pounds and often more then triples their weight before the mother abruptly weans the pup after one month and returns to the ocean. At this point, the pup will shed their blackcoat.

Newbie weighed 92 pounds when he was admitted to The Center. After three-and-a-half months of rehabilitation, he weighed 148 pounds. At first, we tube-feeds the pups a "fish milkshake" made with heavy cream and herring. When their teeth grow in, they have to learn that solid fish are edible. Volunteers help with this process by putting weaned pups through "fish-school." Before they are released, all pups must pass the final exam of fish school, showing that they can find, catch, and swallow live fish while competing with other             elephant seals in the same pool. The green spot on Newbie's head is a wax-based color mark allowing volunteers to identify him in action during live school testing.

Price: Not Available

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