The SeaWorld Rescue Team responded to an injured sea lion at La Jolla Cove over the weekend. The sea lion had been reported to have a gaff hook in its side.
A gaff hook is a sharp, heavy metal hook on a long pole used by ocean fishermen to drag captured fish onto a boat.
In San Diego, it had been beachgoers at La Jolla Cove who spotted the large male on Thursday with the heavy fishing gaff embedded into its side. The rescue team rushed out to the sea lion in order to evaluate its condition and if it needed to be captured to help with its veterinarian needs.
Before the team had planned to sedate and net the sea lion, the gaff hook dislodged on its own. San Diego lifeguards retrieved the metal tool for study hoping to identify the source.
Marine veterinarians have been closely monitoring the sea lion’s health. He has been determined to be healthy, and experts do not feel the need to capture and isolate it.
Harassing or harming a sea lion is a violation of the federal Marine Mammal Protection.
If you spot an entangled, sick, or injured marine animal, you can contact the SeaWorld Rescue Hotline directly at 1-800-541-SEAL (7325).
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