The Marine Mammal Center

Kreacher, a male juvenile pup, was found at Morro Bay in San Luis Obispo County on October 29 weighing 7kg (15.4lb). Believe It, a young female pup, was rescued from Wilder Ranch State Beach in Santa Cruz on October 12, weighing just 5.9kg (12.98lbs). Both were found alone, starving and weak.

Beachgoers called The Marine Mammal Center's rescue line when they spotted the animals - they were barely moving, and seemed lethargic and malnourished. Our rescue volunteers promptly went to assess the situation and brought them to the Center for medical care and support.

We know that female northern fur seals (NFS) typically give birth from late May to late June. Their pups weigh just 4-6kg at birth so although it appeared that Kreacher and Believe It had been weaned by their mothers (they could eat whole fish), they were very underweight for their age. We also know that these animals are sensitive to changes in their environment such as the warming ocean waters of El Niño. We've witnessed record numbers of sick or starving fur seals at The Marine Mammal Center during El Niño years, and earlier this year, an El Niño was declared in the Equatorial Pacific - the effects of which we are likely to see in 2010.

Upon admission, they were assessed by Dr. Frances Gulland, Director of Veterinary Science at the Center. They were given fluids for dehydration (seals and sea lions don't drink water; they get fluids from the fish they eat) and assigned a robust feeding schedule - three meals daily amounting to 1.2kg to 1.5kg of fish per animal per day! Building up strength and weight is vital to their survival so at the start of their care, volunteers and staff tube fed the animals when they were not strong enough to feed on their own. But this adorable duo soon settled in together at the Center, where, over the course of the next month they began to free-feed regularly and put on the pounds! By the beginning of December, both animals had almost doubled in weight, and were deemed by our veterinarians to be healthy and ready to survive in the wild. Point Reyes was the chosen release location and it took only a matter of seconds before the pair disappeared into the ocean.

Injured Sacramento Sea Lion Resting at
The Marine Mammal Center after Daring Rescue.

Shawn Mallan, member of the Marine Mammal Center's Water Rescue Team, narrates the Pier 39 and the Knights Landing rescue of Sgt Nevis:

Click here to help us feed and care for
Sgt. Nevis and other sea lions at the Center now!

On December 5, a sea lion spotted in the Sacramento Delta with gunshot wounds to his face was rescued by the Center thanks to the help of a concerned sheriff’s deputy. The sea lion was nicknamed Sgt. Nevis after Yolo County Sheriff Michael Nevis who stayed on scene to watch over the injured animal until the Center’s water rescue team could arrive. The animal is now rehabilitating at our hospital. Recently, Sgt. Nevis, the sea lion, received a special visit from Sgt. Nevis, the human! Watch this heartfelt reunion between man and pinniped here.

Update December 11, 2009

While Sgt. Nevis’ condition still remains critical at this point, his appetite has improved. He is eating about 16 pounds of fish a day which veterinarians find encouraging. Veterinarians are continuing to treat the infected wounds with antibiotics and are assessing options, such as reconstructive surgery, to repair the sea lion’s damaged nasal passage.

Update December 08, 2009

Sgt. Nevis is in critical condition suffering from damage to his nasal passage as a result of injuries consistent with a gunshot. Today, he ate about 2 pounds of fish, but is still lethargic. Veterinarians are treating the infected wound with antibiotics and will continue to increase the amount of food offered to him now that he is eating. Sgt. Nevis now has two young sea lion roommates to keep him company in his pen - Breadstick and Lightyear. Breadstick was rescued suffering from a gunshot wound to his eye, as well as lungworms and malnourishment . The Center's veterinarians removed the damaged eye and are treating the other medical issues.

On November 12, The Marine Mammal Center attempted the first of what would be four rescue efforts to rescue a 358-pound adult California sea lion that was spotted on a dock on the Sacramento River with an injury consistent with that of a gunshot wound. Experts attempted to rescue this animal in order to treat the wounds, but he eluded them, diving back into the water. In the weeks after November 12, the same sea lion was spotted in other areas in the Delta and at PIER 39 in San Francisco, each time avoiding rescue by the Center, or hauling out in areas not safe for mounting a rescue.

During the morning hours of December 5, the Center’s Water Rescue Team arrived at Knights Landing in Yolo County to try another attempt at rescuing the pinniped which was clearly losing weight and lethargic. The 358-pound adult California sea lion was spotted on a large floating dock making a rescue attempt possible, both for the safety of the sea lion, and for the rescuers. Armed with nets, herding boards and resolve, the team consisting of six TMMC members and officers from the Yolo County Sheriff’s Dept. successfully netted the animal. They then moved him to a barge which shuttled him to the shore where he could be loaded into a sturdy carrier and taken to The Marine Mammal Center’s hospital headquarters in Sausalito. He is currently receiving medical care for the wound including antibiotics and examinations to determine the extent and seriousness of the injury. Originally nicknamed “Sammy” by the public and media, he was officially named "Sgt. Nevis' after a Yolo County Sheriff who spent all morning keeping watch over the sea lion and helping the team with the rescue. This is a customary tradition the Center upholds as a way of saying thanks to those who help during rescue efforts.

On November 21, the Sacramento Bee reports that a Sacramento fisherman admitted to shooting a sea lion. During that morning, a team of state Fish & Game officials raided the man’s home, arresting him and confiscating his shotgun. A witness reported spotting him allegedly shooting at the sea lion known then as "Sammy" An ongoing investigation continues.

A rare sea turtle washed ashore at Stinson Beach on November 25. The Marine Mammal Center was called to rescue what appeared to be a female olive ridley turtle. She is only the 26th sea turtle the Center has rescued in its 34-year history. Donatello, as she was nicknamed, weighed in at just over 54 pounds and was in very poor condition, suffering from dehydration, malnutrition, and low body temperature. Rescuers brought her in with all kinds of barnacles, ghost shrimps and even crabs attached to her shell. Veterinarians at the Center immediately provided fluids, antibiotics, and vitamins for her. Because of the special care she'll need, she was transported to Sea World in San Diego where she is reported to be doing fine. This is the third report of an olive ridley turtle in Marin waters in the past decade. She is currently being tube-fed at Sea World twice a day, and if she becomes healthy and strong, could be released as early as Summer 2010.

Each year, the Center rescues animals that suffer from some sort of entanglement due to marine debris like packing straps, fishing line, netting and balloon strings.

One example is Cujo, a young adult male California sea lion that was rescued because of a packing strap that was wrapped tightly around his neck and was deeply imbedded in the skin. The strap had probably been there for several months, as the tissue had begun to grow around the strap. The strap was removed and the wound irrigated, and a few days later Cujo was released to his ocean home.

For more information about the increasing problem of marine debris and how you can help, visit:
http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/marinedebris.html.

Sequence, an adult male California sea lion, arrived at the Center on October 21, 2009 suffering from several nasty shark bites. Rescued from Monterey and weighing over 480 pounds, Sequence is the largest animal the Center has rescued so far this year. Once admitted, Sequence was assessed by our veterinarians, who tended to his wounds (including a serious one on his flipper), administered antibiotics and pain medication, and gave him a robust feeding schedule.

We were intrigued to discover that this was not the first time we had seen Sequence. In October 1995, he was part of an ongoing marine mammal health and population study at San Miguel Island and was branded with the numbers "3 4 5 6" along his side. Then, in December 2004 he stranded and was rescued by the Center where volunteers named him "Sequence" because of his sequential brand. He was treated for the bacterial infection Leptospirosis and was released after a month of care and rehabilitation.

Fast-forward five years later to 2009 and a much bigger Sequence was back on site, this time recovering in our brand new facilities here in the Marin Headlands. While in our care, our team gathered some valuable samples that will provide a wealth of knowledge about him and sea lions in general.

Just a little over a month later, Sequence was deemed healthy to be released. It was a beautiful day as a small group of staffers, volunteers and beachgoers gathered to watch as Sequence (now weighing in at over 500 pounds!) was rolled down to the beach in a large metal carrier. Once the door to the carrier was raised, it took only a matter of seconds for him to jump out and make a bee-line straight for the surf. While remnants of his wounds are still visible, the salty ocean should finish the healing process effectively.

Sequence headed home on Wednesday, November 25, 2009.

As everyone is making plans to see family and friends this holiday season, we hope you will consider supporting The Marine Mammal Center as we try to help patients, like Sequence, get back to health and ensure they make it back home for the holidays.

There was a traffic jam on Route 880 this morning near 66th Avenue in Oakland, but not for the usual reasons - a Californian sea lion had come ashore just feet away from the busy freeway causing much attention and the traffic to slow.

Named "880 Ice Plant" by a reporter on the scene, the sea lion was rescued from the freeway by The Marine Mammal Center's dedicated Rescue team and quickly brought to the Center here in the Marin Headlands, Sausalito where it was allowed to initially rest in the hospital and later assessed.

The assessment revealed that the sea lion was a young male, approximately four years old and had been the victim of a shark attack. The Marine Mammal Center's veterinarians found that the shark bite severed his spinal cord and the sea lion was paralyzed. Unfortunately 880 Ice Plant's injuries were not recoverable and he was euthanized this evening.

Another sea lion found at Ocean Beach today also suffered from a shark bite and was also euthanized due to the severity of its injuries.

We see more shark related injuries in our patients this time of year. Shark season gets underway between mid august through the fall, covering a triangle of ocean from Stinson Beach to the Farallon Islands and down to Año Nuevo.

Although 880 Ice Plant didn't make it, the Center was there to rescue him and was prepared to help give him a second chance at life. However, there are many other sea lions currently in our hospital that need our care and support. Help us provide much needed food and medical supplies by donating today. Click here to donate now.

On September 25, Dr Bill Van Bonn gave "ChaCha", a 36kg (about 72 lb) male chacha

California sea lion pup, an 'Honorable Mention' in his weekly round up of notable patients. Upon admission, ChaCha had a suspected head trauma and a very unusual gait that veterinarians have classified as a cerebellar ataxia which means the pup wobbles when it walks due to something not quite right in the cerebellum. The team took plain radiographs (the image you get using x-rays) and to their surprise, learned that ChaCha is truly an "air head!" He has air in the skull surrounding the cerebellum and even has bubbles in the tympanic bulla (an extension of the temporal bone, containing the ventral portion of the tympanic cavity which is the small, air-filled space within the temporal bone of the skull, housing the middle ear). Special thanks to consulting neuroradiologist, Dr. Jerome Barakos who looked at the x-rays and MRI and helped identify this abnormality and to IAMS for performing the actual MRI.

Needless to say, the team was surprised as they've never seen anything like this. ChaCha received an MRI for good measure, and that confirmed what they learned from the radiographs. The big question now is - does ChaCha need brain surgery??? Stay tuned for an update.

If you would like to help the Center care for malnourished sea lions like Fruitvale – Join our Dollar-a-Pound campaign here.

After almost a month of rehabilitation at the Center, Fruitvale is now back in the ocean where he belongs. On Saturday, July 18, 2009, he along with five other rehabbed sea lions were loaded into carriers and onto the Kitty Kat for the 27 mile choppy journey out to the Farallon Islands. The Kitty Kat is operated by SF Bay Whale Watching which kindly allowed us some space on their boat to transport Fruitvale and his buddies Anquet, Hondo, Metheny, Prelude, and Superstar. Rescue volunteer Marjorie Boor (who picked up Fruitvale from Oakland Animal Control) as well as naturalists Trish Mirabella and Nicole Lee were on board to help with the release and answer questions from the guests who were pleasantly surprised that the whale watching trip they signed up for included a special stop to drop off some unique passengers.

Fruitvale was found on a busy freeway in Oakland on June 22 and volunteers and staff had been caring for him ever since helping to get him stronger and healthier. Fruitvale, like hundreds of other sea lions we're rescuing these days, was malnourished - the food he would instinctively forage for along the coast had simply disappeared. Sadly, many of these animals will not survive due to the medical conditions resulting from malnourishment. So far this year we've rescued over 1,000 marine mammals of all species including over 720 sea lions. Our yearly average number of rescues is about 600 animals, so this year is proving to be a very busy one for us and one where we have a lot of little mouths to feed! We wish Fruitvale and the other healthy sea lions released Saturday the best.

Arctic Update
Remember Arctic, the Steller sea lion pup that was only days old when rescued by the Center in 2008 and was released in April, 2009 at Año Nuevo. Before his release, Arctic was fitted with a satellite tag so that we could track his movements in the wild. Although we recently stopped receiving transmissions (the tags generally last about 3 months) the transmission map below illustrates the remarkable range of his movements and indicates that he is adjusting well to life in the wild.

Mombasa
"Mombasa", a female CSL, had a large mass involving the entire left eye. The origin of the mass was a diseased eyeball. The surrounding tissues of the lids, the conjunctiva, the orbit, etc. were normal, so when the animal looked around the mass moved along with the right eye. The diseased eye and the attached mass were removed, and shortly after Mombasa was recovering fast and already stealing fish from her enclosure-mates!

Cal Fire
Adult male sea lion "Cal Fire" was active, alert, eating and moving pretty well when admitted. An examination and x-ray revealed a spinal fracture at the caudal thoracic vertebrae with complete displacement! This is a good example of the ability of these animals to mask signs of disease, injury or illness, a skill that serves them well from an ecological and evolutionary perspective - if you don’t look weak, you are no more at risk of predation than anyone else nearby.

The Marine Mammal Center has rescued a few fur seal pups recently, one of which has the distinction of being the smallest animal ever treated on site. Anabelle, a northern fur seal pup, weighed only 7 lbs. when she was rescued off a beach in Santa Cruz County and brought to the Center on Oct. 5. She’s still quite small, but gaining strength and weight every day as she eagerly gobbles down fish at feeding time. Two other northern fur seal pups also arrived in succession after Anabelle, and two more arrived this week. Unfortunately, they were all very weak, and three of the animals did not survive. However, one of the patients, dubbed ”Rebelure”, is alive and holding on, though still in intensive care. It was transferred to the Center by the Tracy Animal Control mouth after the animal wandered a mile over land and coincidentally appeared in front of the agency. The fur seal reportedly had three fish hooks caught in its mouth. Another northern fur seal, nicknamed “Farber”, employed a similar strategy on November 16, and wandered into the parking lot of a business in Fairfield before The Marine Mammal Center rescued him. Though still quite fragile, he is currently eating fish at the Center’s hospital.

These early season rescues may signify an event similar to what rescuers saw last year when they rescued 34 fur seals within a three month period. Staff at the Center are waiting to see what develops this season as they keep a watchful eye over Anabelle and Rebelure.

In addition to these rescues, The Marine Mammal Center recently coordinated the release of three Guadalupe fur seals. On October 25, Dr. Felicia Nutter made a late-night trip to the Oakland Airport baggage claim to pick up Mica, a Guadalupe fur seal that was flown down from the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska! Two other Guadalupe fur seals were also transported by car from the Northcoast Marine Mammal Center in Crescent City. It is highly unusual to see this species so far north of their native waters in Southern California and Mexico, so the three seals spent the night at The Marine Mammal Center’s Sausalito hospital and were released together the following morning near San Simeon.. Now that’s teamwork!

Click here to see video of Anabelle and her penmate, Dandelion, who sadly died shortly after arriving.

Melissa is the first harbor seal pup admitted to The Center this pupping season with her dark colored coat. She arrived with her lanugo coat, which is a layer of fur usually shed before birth and indicates she may have been born prematurely. She was picked up from Shell Beach in San Luis Obispo County weighing in at 8.3 kg or about 18 pounds. on February 23, 2007. Her condition is stable and she has been moved from the outside condos to U-1 pen, with in-ground pool.

Nigel was picked up on March 4, 2007 from Gate Six Marina in Richardson Bay. He was named after a gentleman that continued to keep watch on the animal and call in his condition to The Center. Upon admittance, Nigel weighed in at 7.1 kg or about 16 pounds.

Tamar, Hebrew for “little fig”, was admitted the same day as harbor seal, Melissa, announcing the beginning of the 2007 pupping season at The Center. She was rescued from Panther Beach in Santa Cruz County covered almost entirely with tar, with dye on her back and a pink flipper tag.

The pink tag indicated to Point Reyes Bird Observatory Researcher, Derek Lee, that Tamar was an animal born on January 20. Tamar’s mother had adopted another pup a day before giving birth. She nursed both her pup and the adopted pup to be half-size weaners and then left the island. Then Tamar, an underweight, young black coat, swam from the Farallon Islands to Santa Cruz in eight days, which is a quite a spectacular feat for a young pup.

Weighing only about 98 pounds, Tamar was admitted to The Center on February 23, 2007. Since then, she has molted her black coat that was once almost completely covered with tar. She is being tube fed by staff and volunteers and has begun fish school. In fish school, she will learn how to track and catch fish, a necessary skill for survival in the wild.

Click on a thumbnail to see pictures of some of The Center’s elephant seal weaner patients.

Chowder was picked up on March 1, 2007 at Fort Funston in San Francisco County. The little weaner weighed in at almost 64 pounds and is sharing a pen with Tamar (pictured above).

There are currently 30 elephant seals on site (March 26, 2007), which means that pupping season is in full swing.

Astro videos
Astro travels from The Marine Mammal Center to Long Marine Lab August 2007–watch here.
Astro travels from Long Marine Lab to Mystic Aquarium February 2008–watch here.
Learn more about Astro and his cross-country journey February 2008–watch here.

On February 26, 2008, Astro was transferred from Long Marine Lab in Santa Cruz to Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, where he will become an educational subject for thousands of visitors to learn about Steller sea lions. As you may recall, Astro initially came to The Marine Mammal Center in June 2006 after being separated from his mother as a pup, and was unsuccessfully released in April 2007. Astro was transferred to Long Marine Lab in August, 2007 (see previous report below) after restranding multiple times and unfortunately, being deemed unsuitable for release by The Marine Mammal Center. He remained at Long Marine Lab while a permanent home for him was sought. Mystic Aquarium offered to provide him with a home at their facility.

Astro’s journey to Connecticut and transfer to the aquarium went very well. Along with a human escort, Astro traveled via a FedEx plane in a large carrier. Upon his arrival at Mystic, Astro adjusted to his new home immediately. He ate well the day after arrival, and the Aquarium staff is delighted with him. Mystic Aquarium plans to put together a compilation of footage of Astro for educational purposes at a later date. The Center will post the link when it becomes available.

Astro, a Steller sea lion, was rescued from Año Nuevo Island in June 2006 as a pup after having been separated from his mother. He weighed just 39 pounds at the time of his rescue, but grew stronger and bigger at the center. In April 2007, veterinarians believed Astro was ready to return to the wild. He was released April 25 at Año Nuevo State Park, weighing in at about 185 pounds. A satellite tag was attached to his back to track his travels; however, Astro was reluctant to leave the beach and stayed with some young elephant seals nearby. So the center re-rescued him the next day and took him to the Farallon Islands – a place where other Steller sea lions live. After his release, Astro stayed on and around the islands for about a week. It’s not known exactly why on May 8, Astro swam back to the mainland. The Marine Mammal Center re-rescued him and took him back to the Farallones, but Astro came back to Corte Madera two days later, finding his way to an elementary school, where a walk-a-thon was being held. Astro was once again rescued and this time, he was brought back to The Marine Mammal Center. Back at the center, Astro spent several months eating and socializing with other sea lions while veterinarians and researchers formulated a plan for his future. Unfortunately, because of his failure to reintegrate into the wild sea-lion population, Astro would no longer be releasable back to his natural habitat. It is uncertain why Astro responded in such a way, as he was treated with the same protocols as other successfully released Steller sea lions at the center; however, sea lions have individual characteristics and respond in unique ways to treatment. One thing was clear-- Astro, as an intelligent and curious animal, would not receive the stimuli he needed to keep him occupied at The Marine Mammal Center, where the facilities are geared toward treatment and release. Astro would need activities to keep his sharp mind active. On August 7, 2007, Astro left The Marine Mammal Center at a whopping 252 pounds and was taken to UC Santa Cruz’s Long Marine Lab, where he is participating in training and metabolic rate and hearing research studies. Researchers at Long report that Astro is settling in well. He is eating almost 25 pounds of fish a day and seems to enjoy learning basic commands, responding to both verbal and whistle prompts. These skills will be necessary to ensure proper care for him as he has more contact with human caretakers in the future. Astro will likely be transferred to Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut this fall. As one of only five facilities in the world where Steller sea lions can be viewed, Mystic Aquarium has the specialized experience to care for Astro. Not only will he be in an environment with other Steller sea lions, but he will serve as a great educational subject to many people as they learn about the threatened species through him.

The Marine Mammal Center recently rescued a young adult male sea lion that had a plastic packing strap deeply imbedded in the tissue around his neck. Further examination revealed a wound that was one inch deep and wide. Staff Veterinarian Dr. Bill Van Bonn successfully removed the strap and flushed the deep wound, and Cujo was released a few days later at Rodeo Beach.

Click here to help us feed and care for Sgt. Nevis and other sea lions at the Center now!

Click here to help us feed and care for
Sgt. Nevis and other sea lions at the Center now!