WHAT'S NEW

The Center is currently caring for the following number of California sea lions, northern elephant seals, northern fur seals and pacific harbor seals.

NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL PUP SEASON HAS BEGUN...........

Northern elephant seal pup season has begun with our first arrival pictured above, a 67.2 pound male somewhere between 4 and 6 weeks old. 

April 21 update:  The first 7 including our first one pictured above that started eating fish well, have put on the needed weight and have moved to the big pen with a pool to start learning the next step in fish school, diving for their food.  The next 9 good hand fed eaters have also moved the same pen but are behind a fence until they no longer need to have extra fluids for hydration.  Soon they will move in with the others in the big pool.  Click here to see more pictures of our ellie pups this year.  Spring is here and the sight of these black coats and the cackling sounds at the Care Center was attributed to the arrival of our northern elephant seal pups.  These pups signal the beginning of the new stranding season.   Over the last several years we have not seen much of a slow season during the winter months and 2005 being our busiest year with 420 animals was no different.   We continued to stay busy with the arrival of many orphaned sea lion pups, ill and injured along with an outbreak of Domoic Acid sending in many pregnant female sea lions.   Many of these pups and adults are still being cared for at the center and we continue to get more.   Click here to read below about their stories.

The elephant seal pups are a favorite patient at the Care Center.   The deafening sound of young pups chattering in the early morning hours will be heard before the first feed as more arrive. The malnourished and dehydrated pups come to the Care Center after losing many pounds since being weaned and left on the beach by their mothers in February.

Visitors of the Care Center can easily distinguish the elephant seal pups from the California sea lion pups   The elephant seal pups are much larger in size and are usually sporting a colored symbol on their head or body, though sometimes due to the numbers of patients even the sea lions sport the colors.   The non-toxic temporary coloring helps the staff and volunteers identify the patients quickly for treatment and feedings.  This is also true of our adults with Domoic Acid due to the amount of treatment required and their condition when they arrive. 

Treatments for the pups during their first days at the Care Center include subcutaneous fluids for hydration and a fish gruel, which is fed by a large syringe through a flexible tube inserted down into their stomach. Some animals are also administered antibiotics and de-worming medicines.  For their safety and ease of treatment, the pups are kept in dry pens before being moved to a pool.

Once the pups are stronger they will be hand fed fish.   Care in monitoring the feeding and fish amounts is important.  Most will continued to be tube feed as they transition onto fish only.   This is important for hydration during the time they will be ramping up to their full amount.  Since these pups haven't eaten fish before you have to assist feed them by pushing fish in their mouths to get them to swallow.   Once they?ve mastered swallowing their appetite for fish usually increases and then they are moved to the pen  with the large pool.   Hand feeding at the edge of the pool continues until they begin diving as you drop the fish.    Once that occurs they will just continue to eat until they get to be big enough to be released.

Over the course of their treatment their black coat will become tan and many will double or triple their weight. Visitors can witness the care and treatment of these large sized babies any day during daylight hours.   For directions click here.

We have had a number of stranded orphan pups this year.  Our first 4 pups, and a 3 year old female California sea lion, left February 1st to return back to the ocean.    Click on the release picture to the right to see the video.   Click here to see two videos of two of our little sea lions released swimming in the big pool.    Click here to see a gallery of pictures of the pups.   

May 1st update:   Our little eye surgery patient pictured to the left was released today.   Click here to see the video of her going home.  She is pictured to the left sitting up with another little sea lion pup using her as a pillow.   They are very social animals and like having other pups around them.   She came in orphaned, underweight with pneumonia and developed a severe eye infection from a scratch in her eye.  She underwent two surgical procedures to help save her eye and continued to remain in a dry pen while her eye healed and she could be evaluated.    We were fortunate to have the same Ophthalmologist Vets from The Eye Care for Animals that did the surgery on the little male sea lion released in December help her.   Click here to see his story.  Her eye was even more critical but after two surgeries she had regained sight in that eye and was able to be released.   

DOMOIC ACID comes early in 2006.

As the waters are tested blooms have been found around LA, and Ventura counties for Domoic Acid in February and a second bloom even larger was detected again in March and April bringing in more animals that appear more ill.   We still have a large number of adult females in house with this illness and we continue to get more every week.   Our first one with good care and eating on her own was released on February 22 which is very rewarding to all the volunteers and staff that have worked hard to help her recover to go home.   By the third week of April all of the adults from the first bloom have been released back to the ocean.   Most of these adults and now some younger ones have experienced seizures, and most of the adults have miscarried.  Several have come in with abscesses from wounds, stingray barbs stuck in their neck, check or mouth, and flipper injuries.    Several of these females developed pneumonia from aspirating sea water while having seizures and rolling around in the surf.  When they arrive most are in an almost coma state with a very low temperature.  Blankets and warming bags are used to help bring up their temperature.   In the last several years we have not seen an outbreak of Domoic Acid happen so early in the year.    2005 we cared for more adult California sea lions with Domoic Acid poisioning  than in any of our previous years.   Domoic acid is a nerve toxin, amino acid produced by a naturally occurring harmful algal bloom.  It affects an animal?s central nervous system after eating fish contaminated with domoic acid.   Domoic acid causes lethargy, disorientation, and seizing. The animals are quite ill when they arrive and are housed in pens without pools for their safety and relative ease of treatment.   The majority of the adults affected are female, but in 2005 we saw more males that need to be treated as well.   2006 is the first year we have seen it affect younger animals including yearlings.   The animals have no interest in eating and receive a number of treatments, including medications to control seizures and antibiotics for secondary problems resulting from the seizures.  Lots of fluids are administered to help flush out the toxin from their systems. They become more oriented after five-six days of treatment.  For those with additional injuries, radiographs, ultrasound or surgery is required.  For the younger sea lions, if they are awake enough but not eating we will tube feed them to stimulate their interest in eating again.   This is also done with adults if they don't start eating after a period of time once the toxin is flushed from their bodies.

Treatments for the pups during their first days at the Care Center include subcutaneous fluids for hydration and a fish gruel, which is fed by a large syringe through a flexible tube inserted down into their stomach. Blood work is done on each animal to help determine the treatment necessary which includes administering antibiotics or other medicine necessary for their recovery.   Until they are strong enough, as well as for their safety and ease of treatment, the pups are kept in dry pens before being moved to a pool.  

The younger California sea lions are being treated for malnourishment, eye maladies, injured or broken flippers, pneumonia, mono-filament injury, stingray barbs and cuts and abrasions. In some cases radiographs, ultrasound or surgery is required.   Once healed and patched up these feisty animals will be returned to the ocean. The treatment time for their injuries is usually two-three months but sometimes longer depending on the severity of their injury. 

Even though we were busy in 2005 treating the most number of animals in our history, our staff and volunteers were able to complete some needed maintenance work on the center as well as replacing some badly needed filtration equipment acquired through a grant.   We also welcome the many new volunteers quickly learning the skills needed to help with the busy season.

written by, JoAnn Smith                                                                last updated    05/21/2007