Guacamole the rescued sea turtle at SEA LIFE San Antonio makes an early Super Bowl prediction

A lighthearted tradition arrives in downtown San Antonio’s ocean tunnel exhibit

With Super Bowl Sunday approaching, a rescued green sea turtle named Guacamole has delivered a local prediction from her home at SEA LIFE San Antonio, the aquarium attraction inside the Shops at Rivercenter downtown. The pick was staged as a simple choice test: two team signs were placed at the edge of Guacamole’s tank, each paired with food to draw her attention.

The teams presented were the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. Staff used squid and lettuce as incentives, placing the snacks alongside the signage. In the aquarium’s retelling of the moment, Guacamole swam to the lettuce and, in the process, selected the Seahawks as her projected winner.

Who Guacamole is, and why she can’t return to the wild

Guacamole is a non-releasable green sea turtle that was rescued from the Texas coast after being found with injuries consistent with a boat strike. Reports connected to her rehabilitation describe damage affecting her rear flippers and shell, which limited her mobility and made a return to open water unsafe. After months of care at a coastal rehabilitation facility in Port Aransas, she was transferred to SEA LIFE San Antonio in 2022.

She lives in the aquarium’s 155,000-gallon ocean tunnel exhibit, a centerpiece tank that also houses other marine species visible from a walk-through viewing area. The aquarium has said Guacamole receives ongoing care and is fed daily during scheduled programs that allow guests to observe her routine.

Why animal “picks” draw attention, and what they can—and can’t—show

Animal-based sports predictions are a recurring feature at zoos and aquariums nationwide, typically built around food-driven choices. These events are designed as public engagement moments rather than scientific forecasts. In practical terms, the “selection” reflects which stimulus—placement, scent, timing, or preferred food—most immediately attracts the animal in that setting.

SEA LIFE San Antonio’s demonstration follows that familiar format: a controlled, limited-choice setup intended for audience interest and educational visibility.

Details of the Super Bowl pick event

• Location: SEA LIFE San Antonio’s ocean tunnel exhibit at the Shops at Rivercenter
• Animal: Guacamole, a rescued green sea turtle
• Method: Team signs dipped into the tank, paired with food
• Foods used: Squid and lettuce
• Outcome reported by staff: Guacamole selected the Seattle Seahawks

Guacamole’s choice will be tested when the Seahawks and Patriots meet on Super Bowl Sunday.

Whatever the game’s outcome, the aquarium’s staff has used the moment to highlight Guacamole’s story as a rescued animal living permanently under human care—an example of what happens when a protected marine species survives an injury but cannot safely be released back into the Gulf.