TEXAS — The tradition of animals making their pick to win the Super Bowl is alive and well — on land and in the water.
This year, SEA LIFE in San Antonio’s rescued sea turtle, Guacamole, did not hesitate in its prediction of the winner of the big game.
Aquarium staff placed underwater signs with both the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots team names in Guacamole’s water tank, according to a statement from SEA LIFE’s communications manager. They even left the turtle squid and lettuce snacks.
Guacamole made up its mind immediately, swimming right to the lettuce snack next to the Seahawks and choosing the West Coast team to win the game. It seems like Guacamole realized animals with “sea” in their names should stick together. The reptile’s prediction will be tested in the finale of the NFL’s 2025-26 season on Sunday afternoon.
And San Antonio isn’t the only place where animals are making their Super Bowl preferences known this week.
At the El Paso Zoo, Hodari, the African lion, will charge towards one of two helmet-shaped piñatas on Saturday afternoon. Each piñata will be filled with Hodari’s treats and placed by zookeepers. Visitors are encouraged to come dressed in NFL gameday attire, but Hodari’s pick will also be livestreamed on Facebook.
It’s no secret that animals have been “predicting” the winner of the Super Bowl for years, but in some areas, like at the Dallas Zoo, the tradition has been ditched. Their animals have guessed incorrectly substantially more times than correctly, according to a social media post the Dallas Zoo published last year.
But maybe this year, Guacamole and Hodari can change the tide and earn back some credibility for Texas. We’ll find out this Sunday at 5:30 p.m. when the teams face off in Santa Clara, Calif.