A baby sea lion, holding an artificial kelp strip, was captured on video performing intricate, rhythmic gymnastics-like movements in the waters of an aquarium in Washington state.

At just 9 months old and still dependent on her mother’s milk, Pepper has become the most acrobatic sea lion at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, according to Noelle Tremonti, a staff biologist.

“We often joke that she’s a ribbon dancer because her movements look so graceful and surprisingly beautiful underwater,” Tremonti said. “It makes me really happy to see her engaging with enrichment activities in such a focused way.”

The mesmerizing circles, performed last month in Tacoma, Washington, located about 34 miles (55 kilometers) south of Seattle, are part of the sea lion’s enrichment exercises. The kelp strips help Pepper learn how to interact with kelp, which she would encounter in the wild, and how to explore her surroundings using her mouth, Tremonti explained.

Made from durable felt material, the strip is just the right size for Pepper to grasp and manipulate. In the video, the sea lion uses her flipper to drag the strip while chasing the end, creating graceful loops, and then bites down on it.

Pepper, the first sea lion born at the aquarium in its 120-year history, now weighs 74 pounds (33.5 kilograms) and recently ate her first fish, although she mostly enjoys playing with them.

Her favorite pastime, however, is flipping around with the kelp strips. “She spends a large portion of her day finding new ways to play with them,” Tremonti said. “It’s really fun to watch.”