An injured sea lion pup is recuperating in Marin County after a chance encounter with a surfer at San Francisco's Ocean Beach last week.
The injured pup took to the surfer while the Marine Mammal Center, which has rescued over 24,000 injured sea mammals since 1975, came to the young sea lion's rescue.
Colin Kramer grew up surfing in the Sunset District, and he has continued to surf near Ocean Beach for much of his adult life. He has seen whales and porpoises, but few animals caught his attention like the injured sea lion pup he saw heading away from the water.
Knowing the pup was in distress, he said he corralled the sea lion with his surfboard while others called the Marine Mammal Center. The two got up close and personal as they waited for help to arrive, even though rescuers were none too pleased.
"She just looks and she says, 'Oh, she is breaking all the rules,' " Kramer recalled, calling the way the sea lion laid on his chest and stuck "her cute little snout" in his arm was "adorable."
The sea lion weighed in at about 30 pounds, and the Marine Mammal Center determined the pup was malnourished. Now being fed a steady diet of squished fish smoothies, the sea lion pup is set to be released alongside others in the spring.
In the meantime, the Marine Mammal Center said it's important for people who come across injured sea animals to maintain a safe amount of space. Giancarlo Rulli, a spokesperson with the center, implored people to remember that if they find themselves in a similar situation.
Rulli admitted these "extremely compelling" animals "can draw you in."
"Try to keep that 50-foot distance and give us a call, so that our trained responders can get out there, assess the situation and then make that rescue," he said.
Related
