Sea Lions With Personality

Sometimes we have a sea lion who just seems to have a personality, and just connects with the volunteers at an emotional level. This guy, named Joshnees Bay, is a re-strand. He was picked up once before and released in September. He was picked up on Sunday on a local beach, obviously in distress. While he is really a big guy, probably 250+ pounds and over five feet long, he is still underweight, with bony hips and spine. He has some deep gashes on his body that may be infected, and he sure does not feel good. However, he does have an appetite and scarfs up the fish as fast as he can. He is just beginning to show the initial signs of his head crest.

The thing about him is his soulful eyes. He is very calm, and just watches you with such a look in his eyes. Now, our job is to rescue, rehabilitate and release. We do not anthropomorphize nor make pets out of these wild animals. We minimize human contact, so they will not become habituated to humans. We do not become attached to these guys, but every once in a while, a sea lion comes along that is noticible and memorable. We will remember their name, hoping they survive to be released. We look up their status on the TMMC website, and hope they do not show up on the weekly update of deceased animals.

So we sent Joshnees Bay up to Sausalito on the evening transport. We wish him well and hope the Ocean Gods will look after him...