VANCOUVER - One of the most popular, long-time attractions at the Vancouver Aquarium has died.
Tag, the 15-year-old, 640 kilogram male Steller sea lion, died early yesterday morning from complications of oral cancer.
The huge, blond coloured sea lion arrived at the aquarium as a two-week-old pup and quickly became a favourite with visitors, delighting youngsters with his guttural grunts, flipper splashes and many other antics.
He also helped researchers better understand Stellar sea lions, in hopes of determining why the species has suffered dramatic and unexplained declines across the North Pacific in recent years.
The aquarium announced in March that Tag had been diagnosed with oral cancer and he received surgery and chemotherapy in hopes of treating the disease.
Tag's death comes less than a month after the aquarium celebrated the birth of a beluga whale.
