In a dramatic last-minute operation, a team of marine experts successfully rescued a severely entangled Steller sea lion in British Columbia, Canada, saving the animal from almost certain death. The rescue, which culminated on December 8, was a race against time as daylight faded.
A Desperate Search Ends with a Crucial Call
The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society, alongside Fisheries and Oceans Canada, had been searching for the distressed animal for over a month. The team was about to pack up for good in Cowichan Bay when a crucial call came in. The sea lion, a female weighing approximately 330 pounds, had been spotted on a dock in front of an inn.
The animal was in grave danger. A thick orange rope was wrapped four times around her neck, carving a deep and painful gash into her flesh. Experts stated that the entanglement was so severe it likely prevented her from eating properly, leading to a slow and painful demise without human intervention.
The Tense Rescue Operation Unfolds
Knowing they had to act fast with daylight running out, the nine-member team relaunched their boats. Martin Haulena, executive director of the rescue society, explained that a team member sedated the sea lion with a dart gun. "Launching the dart is the easiest part of the whole operation," Haulena said. "It’s everything that happens after that, that you just have no control over."
True to his words, the situation became tense immediately. After being sedated, the sea lion—named Stl’eluqum (meaning "fierce" or "exceptional") by the local Cowichan Tribes Marine Monitoring Team—jumped from the dock into the murky, debris-filled water. Recent heavy rains had turned the bay brown, making it extremely difficult to locate the sedated animal.
Teamwork and Technology Lead to Success
After several anxious minutes, a drone spotted Stl’eluqum, allowing the team to move in. The rescue was challenging as the rope was deeply embedded. "You couldn’t see it because it was way dug in underneath the skin and blubber of the animal," Haulena recounted. The team carefully unraveled the multiple strands of rope from the sea lion's neck.
Following the successful removal, the team administered antibiotics, tagged her flipper for future identification, and released her back into the water. The successful conclusion was made possible by the vigilant monitoring of the Cowichan Tribes, who had been alerting the rescue team whenever the sea lion was sighted.
Steller sea lions, also known as northern sea lions, are the largest breed of sea lion. They are found along the northern Pacific coasts, from Northern California to parts of Russia and Japan. This rescue highlights the ongoing threats human debris poses to marine life and the critical importance of coordinated rescue efforts.
