10,001th Rescued Sea Lion Released Back Into the Pacific

This past Thursday, the Marine Mammal Center released a rescued sea lion nicknamed Milestone and another, Zodiac Girl, back into the Pacific Ocean near Point Reyes. According to SFGate, the two sea lions were the 10,000th and 10,001th the nonprofit center has rescued and nursed back to health over the past 36 years.

Here’s a video of Milestone and Zodiac Girl being released:

The Sacramento Bee says that only about half of the more than 17,000 marine mammals — including entangled whales — who are taken in by the Center are released. Many of the animals have contributed samples that are helping the Center conduct research with one such area being the exposure of sea lions to carcinogens. Pollutants like DDT and PCBs are banned in the US but still found in the sea lion’s blubber. Chemicals, antibiotics and “other substances of human origin” have also been found in the mammals rescued by the Center, all of which point to the polluting of their ocean home by humans.

The Marine Mammal Center certainly has its work cut out for it: Just about a week ago on July 29, it reported about its efforts to rescue two California sea lions entangled in fishing line wrapped around their necks. The two sea lions, one about 2-3 years of age and the other about 4 years of age, were spotted in early July by people visiting San Francisco’s Pier 39:

The two have been resting periodically on the famous floating docks – a haven for many sea lions – and also a challenging moving obstacle for rescuers. The Center has made multiple rescue attempts to try to capture these sea lions but each attempt has resulted in the pinnipeds diving off the bobbing docks and swimming away. Rescuers approach these kinds of rescues carefully because of the danger of further stressing the sea lions, and as a result, making the entanglement tighter. Chasing these animals provides additional stress on them and the Center, along with the National Marine Fisheries Service, advise against such measures.

The Center is hopeful that the two sea lions might be spotted elsewhere and another attempt at a rescue effort made.

Approximately 8 percent of the marine mammals taken in yearly by the Center have entanglements in ocean trash, usually in the form of fishing lines and nets — here’s hoping that these two sea lions can one day be swimming freely like Milestone and Zodiac Girl back in the ocean.

Photo from lowjumpingfrog

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Harsha R.

2:46AM PDT on Aug 5, 2012

BRAVO!! Great deed by some concerned people. Thank you.

August 5
send a green star

jessica w.

10:34AM PST on Nov 30, 2011

Thanks

November 30
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Henisa A.

7:31AM PDT on Oct 4, 2011

awwww lovely video tpo see the animals going back into the water.. released backl to freedom.. aww brought a tear to my eye... b;less the seal who was shot and taken into care...

October 4
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Faith B.

5:54PM PDT on Oct 3, 2011

thanks for the article

October 3
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Beth H.

2:49PM PDT on Oct 2, 2011

Love the people who care. This planet couldn't survive without them!

October 2
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Latonya W.

2:06PM PDT on Sep 7, 2011

Thanx and Wow

September 7
send a green star

Estelita A.

9:18PM PDT on Aug 23, 2011

THANKS.

August 23
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d b.

2:21AM PDT on Aug 21, 2011

thanks as Tesco advert say every little bit helps

August 21
send a green star

3:39AM PDT on Aug 20, 2011

Contrary to what the article states, in the video, I didn't see Milestone or Zodiac Girl, or any other sea lion for that matter, being released into the ocean.
All I saw was a sea lion standing on a wooden platform and putting his head into the water surrounding it.
Why is the Center conducting research "with one such area being the exposure of sea lions to carcinogens"? Is it not common knowledge that carcinogens cause cancer?