Seal Super Bowl Pick 2026: Norwalk Gray Seal Predicts Winner Of Sunday's Big Game

NORWALK, CT — Fans of the Seattle Seahawks may be disappointed this weekend, according to a prediction made this week by a gray seal at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk.

On Wednesday, all eyes turned once again to the aquarium's Pinniped Cove exhibit as they carried on the facility's tradition of allowing the seals to pick which team they think will triumph in the Super Bowl.

Mikey, a two-year-old gray seal, decisively selected the New England Patriots to win out in Sunday's big game over Seattle.

This year's annual event began when Trainer Alexis Brauner held up two footballs with logos for the Seahawks and Patriots on them, then tossed both balls into the water.

Mikey didn't hesitate as he immediately dashed for New England's ball and brought it back to Brauner, confidently cementing his pick for the 2026 Super Bowl winner.

The pick marked Mikey's first ever Super Bowl prediction, a job that in years past fell to the aquarium's beloved harbor seal, Rasal, who passed away in October.

According to Brauner, Wednesday's event was both a celebration of Mikey's first time making his pick and a tribute to Rasal's enduring legacy at the facility.

"I think its very bittersweet to be passing the legacy onto Mikey," Brauner said to Patch, "but I think he did an amazing job. He had quite the large set of flippers to fill, and so we're hoping that he continues with her impressive accuracy streak of picking the correct Super Bowl winner."

Mikey's debut continues a beloved tradition that began 15 years ago at the aquarium.

His first public prediction came with its own pressure, especially given Rasal's strong 4-3 record, which set a high benchmark throughout the years, according to additional press materials provided by the aquarium.

Rasal also recently scored a three-peat by correctly predicting the Super Bowl champions in 2023, 2024 and 2025. The seals' overall record is currently 7-7, putting extra pressure on this year's prediction to see which way the scale tips.

Brauner noted that although Mikey only began training to fill in for Rasal back in November, he ultimately performed just as his trainers had hoped during the event.

"[Mikey] is a very fast learner, and he loves these high-energy behaviors," Brauner said, "so it was really fun to work with him on that and see him just come so far."

In addition to being a quick learner, Mikey is also a big fan of training, according to Brauner.

"I think that all the trainers can attest to seeing his wheels turn in his head when he's learning a new behavior," Brauner said, "so it's very fun to work with him in that manner. He's also the first gray seal to call the aquarium here home, so it was a nice way to kind of showcase him and his species by doing the Super Bowl pick with him."

Super Bowl predictions are part of a larger enrichment program at the aquarium where trainers provide opportunities for animals to think, explore and interact with new objects and stimuli.

For Mikey, Wednesday's pick was equal parts playtime and primetime, according to the aquarium.

"It's very popular for zoos and aquariums across the country," Brauner said. "It's a great way to highlight different animals in their collection, as well as interact with those animals in unique ways, so providing them different enrichment."

Mikey, the first gray seal to live at the Maritime Aquarium, was born Feb. 17, 2024, at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago and came to Norwalk in December 2024.

According to Dylan Salamone, an assistant curator at the aquarium, the young gray seal is already a lot bigger than the facility's harbor seals and could grow as large 600 pounds.