Sea lions are washing and waddling up on our Coronado beaches and it is understandably a cause of concern for Coronado residents. Worrying about the stranded sea lion’s well-being, wondering if the sea lion is ill, is hurt or is in need of sustenance are all natural reactions to finding these whiskered and delightful creatures out of their natural element.
There is cause for concern. We are having what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) calls an “Unusual Sea Lion Mortality Event in California.” The NOAA Fisheries website explains how this event is confined to baby California sea lions and that many of the “sea lion pups are emaciated, dehydrated, and/or very underweight for their age.” Time.com reports: “Since January 1, [2015] rescuers in California have taken in about 1,000 pups—nearly four times the typical total for the first four months of the year.”
There are two main reasons for the increased numbers of sea lions on the beach.
February and March are when seal lion populations are at their height along the Southern California coast. In fact, the NOAA Fisheries website explains that the “number of California sea lion pups born each year has almost tripled since 1975.” It’s logical that with the high population during this time of that some of our favorite pinnipeds end up on our shores. Adult sea lions on shore are not always a cause of concern and often return to the water after a little visit to the terrestrial world.
Distressed pups are another matter. It has become difficult over the past few years for nursing mothers to find the food they need (sardines, anchovies, and rock fish are some of their favorites) close to shore.
When our ocean temperatures are seasonally cool, this food can usually be found right off the coast of San Diego County; but we have been having warmer than usual water temperatures over the past couple of years. This causes the mother sea lions to swim out to deeper waters to find their food—often not returning in time to prevent the pup from experiencing the dehydration and malnourishment that causes them to wash up on our shore. The Time.com report quotes NOAA as saying that NOAA does not believe that this is due to global warming.
Residents can take action if they find a stranded sea lion. Lifeguard Captain Sean Carey and Christina Washington from Animal Services at the Coronado Police Department both confirmed that these are the steps we can take if we find a stranded sea lion on our Coronado beaches:
Important Contacts / Numbers:
- Sea World is the official agent for NOAA sea lion rescue in our area. If needed, they will bring special equipment and a trainer to carry the sea lion to the Sea World facility. At the facility, the animal will be nurtured until it is ready for re-release into the ocean. If it is during lifeguard hours (9:00 a.m. — dusk), call the Coronado lifeguard tower at 619-522-7346 and they will contact Sea World.
- If it after hours, call the non-emergency Coronado police department number at 619-522-7350. You can also call the non-emergency police number during daytime hours as well.
- You can also call Sea World directly at 800-542-7325; however, because of the numbers of stranded seal lions at any given time, you may receive an answering machine. The messaging system will ask you to leave you name, number, the location of the sea lion, approximate size, and why you think the animal needs help.
Our own Coronado Animal Services (619-522-7371) can come scoop up a dehydrated or malnourished pup and care for it until Sea World arrives. If it an adult sea lion Animal Services can only keep an eye on the distressed animal until Sea World arrives.
If you have any doubt as to the severity of the health condition of the sea lion, it may be best to call our lifeguards or Animal Services first. They can help assess the needs of the sea lion. This helps make sure that the most distressed sea lions get the first priority. Our lifeguards and Animal Services will certainly call Sea World right away if the animal is in need of immediate rescue.
We are very fortunate in Coronado to have an abundance of sea life to appreciate and enjoy. Amazing pelicans, majestic dolphins, and even those pesky sea gulls abound. but it is often the barking, grinning, and frolicking sea lion that is our favorite. It’s good to know that we can offer assistance when they need a little, or a lot, of help.
Related: Sea World cancels sea lion shows; trainers tasked with aiding stranded sea lion cubs
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Image Credit: Kari McCulloch (top) and Ken Bryan (Coronado Shores, Feb. 2015)
Ann Marie Bryan
Staff Writer
eCoronado.com
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