Another Sea Lion Rescue on Bridgeway
September 27 — Sausalito photographer and journalist Evaristo Buendia caught these shots today as a young California sea lion came ashore looking for food just off of the Bridgeway promenade in downtown Sausalito.
Ironically, the spot selected by the young sea lion was right next to the famous Al Sybrian bronze statue of a sea lion, which is one of the symbols of Sausalito.
The uneven colors in his fur are probably caused by molting, which occurs naturally this time of year for sea lions.
If you ever see a stranded seal or sea lion, don't try to help it yourself — calling the Marine Mammal Center at its 24-hour hotline at 415-289-SEAL gives the pup the best chance for survival.
Because someone did the right thing and called the Center, volunteers quickly arrived to try to help the pup. They have gone through extensive training on how to rescue the animals without either pups or recuers being hurt.
Earlier this year we had a series of young sea lions "haul out" near Bridgeway, and the Marine Mammal Center reports that their rate of rescues has doubled in 2009, perhaps due to a shortage of food for the young animals.
After a few minutes scrambling across the rocks, the volunteers herded the pup into a carrier and took it to the Marine Mammal Center to be fed and examined by veterinarians.
Speaking of statues, we think the Center's volunteers deserve a statue for the time and dedication they put into helping seals, sea lions and other marine mammals that are an important part of our balanced environment.
Photos: Copyright (c) 2009, Evaristo Buendia. Text Copyright (c) 2009, OurSausalito.com. All Rights Reserved.
