Chances are, at some point during your time at CWU, you’ve caught wind of Snorkel, the popular tortoise who hides out in the greenhouse most of the week. You may have even been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of him at one of his weekly excursions, which take place every Friday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. But what you might not have known is that Snorkel just celebrated a big milestone in his life. After a long year of community work and public appearances, Snorkel turned 18.

The occasion was celebrated with an extravagant birthday party hosted by members of the CWU Greenhouse and was open to both students and the public. Those who showed up to the party were greeted with opportunities to meet not only Snorkel, but some of his smaller tortoise friends as well. On top of this, there was food, photo ops and free plants for party guests to enjoy. The event had people filtering in and out for hours, all coming to visit the birthday boy himself.

Lienna Stavney, CWU’s Greenhouse and Vivarium manager, talked about what people should take away from the story of Snorkel. “He was donated to us by some people who got him when he was little, about the size of an orange, and realized that he would grow to be over 100 pounds,” Stavney said. “It’s really important to make sure you can take care of an animal throughout their whole life before you get it.”

Beyond Snorkel’s birthday, however, Stavney shared that there are many events at the Greenhouse year-round. “Every Friday we bring out reptiles like snakes and lizards that you can hold, we [also] usually have plants available by donation that you can take home… it’s really just a good educational space.” On top of that, the greenhouse is more than willing to accommodate for tour groups as Stavney stated, “Students come in from Central for classes, but then also schools from around the community will come in for tours. So if you’re interested in having a tour or visiting us you always can.”

If you are interested in planning any trips to the greenhouse, or if you have any questions about the program itself you can contact Stavney at [email protected]. You can also follow the official greenhouse Instagram, @cwu_greenhouse, to stay up to date on all future Snorkel-related events.

And in regards to the tortoise himself, he couldn’t be happier. Snorkel was not available to comment on his party as he was simply too busy basking in the sun, munching on his birthday feast and relishing in the glory that was his 18th birthday party.