Community Corner
Sea Lion Pup Rescues Rise in Southern California
Sea lion's source of food may have moved and pups are coming ashore to survive, rescue centers have reported. One sea lion made his way into a five-star La Jolla hotel Tuesday.
Rescue centers are reporting that sea lion pups are coming ashore at Southern California beaches in unusually high numbers, National Geographic Daily News reported.
While in Imperial Beach to retrieve a malnourished pup earlier this month, SeaWorld Animal Rescue told IB Patch the numbers appear to be on the rise possibly because sea lion's source of food has moved.
As of March 13, SeaWorld Animal Rescue picked up 130 sea lion pups in 2013, said Senior Animal Care Specialist Jody Westberg.
Find out what's happening in Imperial Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Approximately 150 rescues were performed in all of 2012.
Several more have been rescued since then, La Jolla Patch reported.
Find out what's happening in Imperial Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach declared a state of emergency last week because the group has rescued more sea lions than ever before.
Click here to read a blog by a Pacific Marine Mammal Center volunteer on Laguna Beach Patch.
A sea lion pup also made his way into the five-star La Jolla Pantai Inn Tuesday morning, CBS8 reported.
A sea lion pup that appeared to emaciated and dehydrated was spotted near Encanto Avenue off South Seacoast Drive in IB Tuesday afternoon.
Another pup sighting was reported Saturday.
Joseph Wasser lives nearby and was working in his garden when he heard about the pup around 3:30 p.m.
He watched the pup stay in the same spot near the water in the sand until sunset.
Wasser has lived in the same place on the IB beachfront for years and has never seen pups come ashore.
"Hopefully when the water comes up he'll swim back out," he said.
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