SeaWorld Rescues Starving Sea Lion At Upscale Restaurant

SeaWorld’s Animal Rescue Center came to the aid of a starving sea lion pup that made its way into an upscale beachside restaurant Thursday morning.

The cozy looking critter made itself comfy in a La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club Marine Room booth. SeaWorld’s rescue team was called out to aid the eight-month old female, according to CBS Sacramento.

SeaWorld described the tiny 20-pound “micro pup” as severely underweight and dehydrated. At her current age, she should be twice the size that she is. Rescue center experts are cautiously optimistic that she will recover and be returned to the wild.

SeaWorld Rescue detailed, “Animal care specialists immediately began a rehydration process including both sub-cutaneous and oral fluids. They are also keeping watch on the animal’s left eye, which remains shut and has some drainage coming out of it.”

SeaWorld San Diego told Breitbart News:

SeaWorld San Diego has rescued more than 16,000 animals, with sea lions, seals and marine birds comprising the vast majority of those animals rescued.  The park’s Rescue Team also routinely comes to the aid of dolphins, whales and sea turtles.  In 2015, SeaWorld rescued a record-breaking number of California sea lions as a result of an Unusual Mortality Event (UME) that caused juvenile sea lions to strand on beaches along the central and Southern California coastline. The marine mammal species rescued in 2015 were: 990 California sea lions, 31 northern elephant seals, 24 harbor seals, 10 fur seals and two common dolphins. The mammal rescue team also responded to five entangled Humpback whales and one fin whale off the Southern California coast in 2015, successfully disentangling three of the humpback whales. The park’s aquarium team came to the aid of three sea turtles and the park’s bird rescue team was also busy, taking in and caring for 386 marine birds including grebes, pelicans, gulls, herons and dozens of other species.

SeaWorld has faced several attacks over its sea creature housing, breeding and performances, particularly its killer whale shows. The 2013 movie Blackfish fueled attacks from legislators and special interests like the aggressive activist group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). SeaWorld has responded to the accusations in the movie on a webpage dedicated to the issue.

A giant orca habitat expansion, Blue World Project, was designed for SeaWorld’s San Diego park, but California’s Coastal Commission made approval of the expansion of killer whale habitat contingent on winding down the shows that help pay for programs like the habitat expansion and animal rescue. SeaWorld subsequently announced that it would phase out its theatrical shows going into 2016, but has contested the Coastal Commission’s decision.

SeaWorld San Diego’s first animal rescue team was organized in 1964 with the opening of the San Diego park.

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