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After spending a month in the care of a Los Angeles rescue group, two sea lion puppies were released to the sound of cheers at Hermosa Beach Tuesday morning.
One-year-old puppies, “Wren” and “Hue,” were treated for infectious wounds and shark bites by Los Angeles, Marine Mammal Care Center, a marine mammal rehabilitation center along the LA County coast.
The puppy’s release comes weeks after toxic algae affected 550 sea lions and dolphins, according to the nonprofit. Bloom, which began in February and lasted 14 weeks, was the worst record in Southern California, the group said.
“This is a matter of public safety, public health issues, animal welfare issues, and that is a direct result of our actions,” said John Warner, CEO of the Marine Mammal Care Center.
The two sea lions released Tuesday were not affected by algae flowers, but rescue groups have been caring for more than 500 animals for the first few months of the year, but their annual budget only covers care for 300 animals.
“These two animals are like the patients that you would normally see in the absence of mass surveillance events like those we’ve experienced over the past few months,” Warner said.
Ren, a male sea lion puppy from California, was rescued on May 16th at El Segundo. He was treated for a wound on his jaw and abscess. After a little over a month of antibiotic treatment for his jaw swelling, Ren was released and doubled his weight.
The female puppy, who arrived at the nonprofit hospital on May 20, suffered from jagged bite wounds on either side of her breast, usually due to sharks, Warner said. Hue is ready to release after a month of care and has cleaned and improved the wounds.
Warner said both sea lions were called by community members from the group’s hotline and found themselves lying on the beach.
Once the two puppies are released from the shared crate, Ren leads the way, and Hue jumps down the beach into the sea behind him. The two were ratified when they were adjusted back to the waves.
Once released, each animal is tracked with an orange flipper tag instead of satellite tagging. They are probably heading to the Channel Islands, he said.
“It’s very rewarding to see that the second chance they’ve been given is being used to their fullest by these animals,” Warner said.
Marine Mamal Care Centre has released Hermosa Beach Pier puppies. Warner said there is a “very supportive community” as the city has been providing $35,000 a year to the group since 2023.
“From what we stand here on Hermosa Beach, we can see that Hermosa has a deep connection to the coast. It is our common responsibility to protect our oceans and the wildlife we call it home,” Seman said.
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