Endangered Steller Sea Lion Westley Released in Alaska after Six Months of Rehabilitative Care at The Marine Mammal Center

Steller sea lion pup Westley has been on a long journey but after several months of expert rehabilitative care at The Marine Mammal Center, he has returned to the wild near Seward, Alaska, thanks to our partners at the Alaska SeaLife Center and NOAA Fisheries.

Westley’s journey began in late December in Unalaska, Alaska, where he was found sheltering inside the Westward Seafoods plant. Thankfully, recognizing the stranded sea lion pup needed help, Westward staff alerted NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network. An incredible group of partners came together to successfully respond to this pup. Alaska Department of Fish and Game staff helped monitor Westley in Unalaska until he could be transported to the Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) in Seward for stabilization. After a veterinary exam at the ASLC, the pup headed to Anchorage to catch a flight to California. The young pup was named Westley prior to being transported to our hospital in Sausalito, California, where he was admitted into care on December 24, 2025.

As part of the endangered western population of Steller sea lions, which faces many survival challenges in the ocean, Westley’s recovery is vital for his species. We are grateful that his rescue and release in Alaska were made possible thanks to our partners at Alaska SeaLife Center and the NOAA Fisheries.

At just 6 months old, Steller sea lion Westley should have stayed with his mother for at least an additional six months as he nursed and learned how to dive and feed himself before venturing out on his own. Besides being separated from his mother too soon, Westley was also much too thin.

Because Steller sea lions are very social animals, it is vital that orphaned pups learn not only how to feed themselves, but also how to interact with other sea lions before they are released back to the wild. As the largest marine mammal hospital in the world, our Sausalito hospital not only has the space, but also lots of opportunities for socialization with other pinnipeds that would be essential to Westley’s recovery.

Westley received expert care every step of the way, from a nutritious diet to engaging enrichment, thanks to our dedicated animal care experts. Through their care and socialization with fellow marine mammal patients, Westley successfully gained the strength and skills necessary to thrive on his own in the wild. So much so that he nearly tripled his weight from 110 pounds to 300 pounds.

"As a member of the endangered western population of Steller sea lions, Westley’s successful rehabilitation and release is an important win for conservation,” says Dr. Emily Whitmer, Clinical Veterinarian at the Center. “Seeing him return to Alaska healthy and thriving is incredibly rewarding for our team and partners involved in this momentous effort."

Before Westley was transported back to Alaska for his release, our veterinary experts performed a final health check at the Center and fitted him with two satellite tracking tags and other identifiers to monitor him in the ocean after release. By tracking Westley’s movements, we can learn more about his population as a whole and how animals use their ocean environment to help inform critical efforts to protect them.

In coordination with our partners, Westley was flown from Oakland, California, to Anchorage, Alaska, with two of the Center’s registered veterinary technicians accompanying the flight.

After arriving in Anchorage early in the morning by plane, Westley was carefully transferred into a large box truck for the 130 mile journey south to Seward, home of the Alaska SeaLife Center. Once there, a forklift was used to safely transfer the large sea lion onto a landing craft vessel in the Seward harbor.

For the final stage of his remarkable trip, staff from The Marine Mammal Center, the Alaska SeaLife Center, and NOAA Fisheries escorted Westley to "Emerald Cove," a well known Steller sea lion haul out site outside Resurrection Bay.

The area is home to a rich marine ecosystem, where towering cliffs with nesting seabirds rise above the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Alaska. Steller sea lions, seabirds, and even whales are regularly spotted there. Alaska SeaLife Center scientist Dr. John Maniscalco, who has studied this endangered population of Steller sea lions for more than 25 years, felt the location would be a fitting place for Westley's return to the wild.

“Emerald Cove in El Dorado Narrows was chosen for the release because it is the closest Steller sea lion haulout location to Seward, and it is frequently visited by tour vessels and researchers alike. This gives us our best chance to see him again and check on how he is doing," said Maniscalco.

When the vessel reached the release site, staff members from The Marine Mammal Center who had cared for Westley for months opened the transport unit doors. After several seconds, Westley dove into the water. The team watched as he swam past the boat one final time before approaching the haulout area, where several other Steller sea lions were gathered. They continued observing for an extended period and saw Westley interacting with other sea lions in the water near the haulout.

“Westley was seen the very next day by a local tour vessel captain who noticed he was all cozied up with other sea lions on the haulout and resting peacefully. It makes us all feel good to save a life, especially of an endangered species,” shared Dr. John Maniscalco.