Sea lion pups stranded on California coast were ‘skin and bones.’ See them return home
As more than 100 people stood on a Southern California beach eagerly waiting, a pair of sea lions just sat.
The two were among four sea lions nourished back to health for about two months at Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro before being released, John Warren, CEO of Marine Mammal Care Center, told McClatchy News.
In a video of the March 5 release posted on Facebook, two of the sea lions immediately waddle out of their crate in Marina del Rey and back into the ocean.
Once the crate is opened for the other pair, however, they linger, the video shows.
They bark at one another and stick around for minutes before finally agreeing it’s time to go home.
They waddle their way into the ocean, as applause and cheers resonate on Charlie’s Beach.
“It’s a joy refill moment,” Warren said of the release. “It’s what keeps me going.”
From ‘fish milkshakes’ to whole fish
When all of the sea lions were found, Warren said they were malnourished and “skin and bones.”
Two of the pups were found in Malibu, another pup in Playa del Rey and a yearling on Catalina Island, Warren said.
The three pups were born in June 2023 at the height of toxic algae blooms off the coast that caused hundreds of sick and dead sea lions and dolphins to wash ashore, according to Warren.
While Warren said he can’t determine if these animals were directly affected by the widespread algae blooms last summer, he said “it’s hard to assume that any animal located smack dab in the middle of it would not have some exposure.”
What is certain, though, is that these sea lions were either separated from their mothers or weaned too early, Warren said.
“These pups were being weaned around the five, six-month mark, and sometimes that’s just too early,” Warren said.
After being found on the beach, Warren said the center worked on “providing them a warm, safe, restful place.”
The sea lions transitioned from tube feedings with “fish milkshakes” packed with vitamins to eating whole fish, according to Warren.
Once the sea lions were deemed ready, Warren said they were released back home, a moment that Warren said gives him hope.
“The pups are a symbol of resiliency and that good things can come during bad times,” Warren said.
With 60 animals currently being cared for at the center, Warren said the pups’ release helps him “get through it.”
“It keeps me focused and positive,” Warren said. “It’s the hope.”
This story was originally published March 6, 2024 at 2:02 PM with the headline "Sea lion pups stranded on California coast were ‘skin and bones.’ See them return home."
