Find a Stranded Marine Mammal at the Beach? Here’s What to Do

The Marine Mammal Center rescued an ill sea lion on the shore at San Francisco's Ocean Beach Wednesday morning. "Betsy" the sea lion is now safely recovering in the organization's rehabilitation center in Sausalito, but she isn’t the first — or likely the last — to be found on the Bay Area’s shoreline in need of help this summer.

There's been a dramatic increase in sea lion strandings compared to past years, so it's important to know what to do if you see one, said center veterinarian Dr. Cara Field in an email.

California sea lions usually rest on rocks or piers, so it might be a red flag if you see one on the sand, which is where police officers discovered Betsy. The Marine Mammal Center said it's best to call its 24-hour hotline at 415-289-SEAL (7325) if you are concerned about a marine mammal on the beach.

While it's ok to take photos and admire the animals from a distance, you're too close if you’re not using your zoom or they’re reacting to you.

People should keep 50 feet from away from sea lions, which may become aggressive if they feel threatened. Sea lions are also capable of transmitting diseases to people and dogs, according to Field, who said there's been an increase in  human and canine encounters in the last few years.

This week alone, the center's rescue department has encountered multiple incidents of people unsafely interacting with sick seals and sea lions when arriving at a response location. The center is concerned about the recent stranding numbers coinciding with beachgoers during summer break.

"Over the last 10 years, we see an average of 50-70 young California sea lions stranding across April, May and June. In April, May and June of 2019, we rescued 222 young California sea lions that are malnourished," Field wrote.

The center reported seeing an increase in both young pups that are starving, as well as older animals affected by domoic acid poisoning, which is contracted from eating contaminated fish.

As for Betsy? The 1-year-old sea lion received a full admission exam Thursday, and was severely emaciated and dehydrated.

“Overall, we believe that California sea lions are suffering from the impacts of food availability issues due to climate change,” Field said. “However, we are studying these animals as they come into our hospital to better understand why they might be stranding this year in such high numbers.”

Volunteers will continue administering bagged fluids to Betsy for the next few days to help her rehydrate. She's also being tube-fed sustainably caught ground herring and electrolytes by volunteers before transitioning to eat whole herring.

The 40-pound pup is staying in one of the hospital’s intensive care unit pens — and it looks like she's already made some new friends. Once her condition has improved enough, she'll be transferred into a standard rehabilitation pool pen.

Veterinarians will continue to monitor her condition and ensure a full recovery. After she passes a medical exam, they'll release her back into the ocean.