Northern elephant seal Mizuna was just months old when she was found helpless on the beach with six stingray barbs lodged in her face. Suffering from a nasty infection and malnutrition, Mizuna’s life was at stake. 

Fortunately, she was brought to our hospital for medical care. Some of the barbs were removed soon after Mizuna was admitted, but the remaining ones were deeply embedded and required additional procedures. After multiple surgeries, the final piece was removed, and Mizuna was barb-free. 

As she regained her strength, Mizuna was housed with a harbor seal pup named Beebop. The pair proved to be a good match as Mizuna and Beebop competed well with each other for food—a vital skill the two pups would need to learn to survive in the wild. 

After almost two months of care, Mizuna received a clean bill of health and was released back to her ocean home with a second chance.

Adopt Mizuna