For the Massey family, the Saint Louis Zoo isn’t just a place to see animals—it’s where memories like these come to life.

Killer whale punts a sea lion 20 feet in the air to show calf how it’s done. A killer whale calf that is several months old swims with an adult in its pod during a hunting session.

Ronan the sea lion can still keep a beat after all these years. She can groove to rock and electronica. But the 15-year-old California sea lion’s talent shines most in bobbing to disco hits like ...