Sea Lions of Fisherman's Wharf Celebrate 20th Anniversary and Welcome Home Party!

The most popular question the public ask about the sea lions is, 'what do you feed them?' said Ann Bower at the Welcome Home and 20th Anniversary party at Pier 39 today.

Of course, the answer is that the sea lions feed themselves! she said. Ann is Director of Education at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, and has been working with Pier 39 ever since the sea lions arrived.
(pic left, with Kathy Paver, Marketing Senior Vice-President with Pier 39)

Another often-asked question is, what caused the sea lions to pick this particular spot, and what causes them to stay?

'No-one's asked them, they haven't told us!' said Ann, but she would offer three answers: the dock is comfortable with floats laid down, sheltered by a harbour wall, and they don't have to swim far for their food.

She was there this morning with other members of the center including Executive Director Jeff Boehm, members of Pier 39, Harbourmaster Sheila Chandor, and staff of Aquarium of the Bay. All were there to share the celebrations of the return of the sea lions and their 20th anniversary with several hundred members of the public.

Alongside, about 200 sea lions paticipated noisily as free hats, Coca Cola and Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring Water were handed out, along with pieces of a lavish party cake and chocolate cup cakes.

Why are the sea lions so endearingly popular? she was asked by Jan, a freelance radio journalist. 'Because people see something of themselves in them,' she said, adding that she thinks people 'just like big mammals,' evidenced also by the popularity of whales and elephants.

How would she describe sea lions? 'Gregarious, boisterous, enjoying being next to each other...fat and sassy!'

When it comes to being next to each other, anyone who has stood on the pier and watched is struck by not just by 'next to each other' but 'on top of each other!' Yesterday, there were empty rafts galore because of the mass exodus last fall, so the sea lions could each have commanded their own territory, but there they were, stashed and heaped as ever on a few rafts.

'Sack of potatoes,' said Ann. The secret lies in the word 'thigmotactic' - 'you've got to have a lot of letters to get it in scrabble!' The first part, 'thigmo' stems from Greek and means 'to touch'. The second part means 'movement' or 'arranging in order.'

Sea lions are not happy bunnies?!!! unless they touch each other as they flip flop and snoooze, bask and play.

Mostly!  It was noticeable that when the band struck up their equally boisterous tunes, trumpeting and oompahing and drumming out songs like 'Popeye the Sailor Man!' from the top of the pier, that the sea lions responded.

Was it imagination, or did the sea lions really sway, and they did seem particularly lively. Were they catching an air of excitement and responding?

They were not used to the music, said Ann, and were making some response to an unfamiliar sound, but generally more excited? This made her chuckle. There was another reason! Breeding season is approaching, the time when every full-blooded, testosterone-packed male readies himself. Soon, they will migrate south to the Channel Islands, off the south coast of California, and conquer - leaving only 'young juveniles or old boys too tired to care!' Kathy Paver added in her interview. (previous blog)

Which comes back to the touching. Stolid, and proud and alone sat a bruiser of a black sea lion who had elicited squeals of delight from a group of schoolchildren as another sea lion attempted to scramble onto his empty float, and was knocked back into the sea. Some 800 lbs of solid sea lion practising marking out his territory in readiness for a summer of love.

Also there in the colony were small sea lions, but they were not pups, said Ann, rather one-year-olds and maybe some two-year-olds.

And there is always a question about the difference between sea lions and seals:  sea lions have little brown ear-flaps and long, front flippers.

Sea lions are migratory creatures, but the extent of last year's ebb and flow took even the Marine Mammal Center and Pier 39 staff by surprise, said Jeff Boehm, Executive Director of the center. The animals are  'opportunistic feeders'  he said, and 'clearly something changed' but they could not be sure of the whole picture.

Jeff has been quoted in the media as saying that anchovies and sardines attracted a record-sized herd of 1,701 to haul out in K-Dock last October, and that low herring supplies caused an equally dramatic exodus after Thanksgiving. But yesterday, he said while these were factors, it was not necessarily the whole answer.

Many of the sea lions swum north to the Sea Lion Caves in Oregon. Could their return here be linked to overcrowding there? It was possible, he said. Sea lions are dynamic and will simply find food.

After cutting the anniversary cake, Jeff was thrilled with the party and seeing, he said, the excitement that people had being around wild animals. Pier 39 was a 'significant urban center' and also offered a 'significant opportunity' to encourage people to care about animals and the environment, he also said.

Visiting the city for a few days from Tampa, Florida, were friends Richard and Jan. 'We just came to look at the sea lions. We had no clue about party cake!' said Jan. This was her first trip to the city, and Richard's, the first for 20 years.

'I think they're great!' said Jan, of the sea lions.

Sitting on the pier was Shari with her five-year-old son, Miles.

'I've been keeping up with them. I grew up in San Francisco, and it's good to see them back,' she said.

Shari remembers their arrival, three months after the Loma Prieta earthquake in October, 1989. She also remembers the day of the quake. She was on her way upstairs when the house shook, and her aunt had crossed the Bay Bridge from Oakland just minutes before a section of it collapsed.

Miles, too, was excited with the sea lions and their party.

Had he known there was a party? 'Yes!'

Did he like the sea lions? 'Yes!'

Did he like the cake? 'Yes!'

It was a positive day all round!

Entertainment continued on the pier with traditonal fun with Scott, one of their street performers, and Salty. New to the scene with a digital twist was Prasant Mohapatra, Co-Founder of Mapiz, a free 'app' with a 'Save the Sea Lions' game.

Players save the sea lions from dangers ranging from environmental to killer whales and sharks, and each day at 9 pm a winner is awarded two free tickets for rides on the Rocket Boat in the bay.

The start-up company provides location-based gaming, and Pier 39 are only their third customer. Mapiz.com also sends out 'near casts' - info to people in close range letting them know, for example, that a party is happening on Pier 39!

Pier 39 Sea Lions' Welcome Home and 20th Anniversary Party

Commemorative party hats, free cup cakes, coca cola and alpine spring water are being given out at Pier 39 tomorrow as part of the sea lions' party.

The guests of honour won't be participating in the party food or wearing the hats, but hundreds of people will be eating, drinking and celebrating in their honour.


The Pier 39 party is both a postponed celebration of the 20th anniversary since the sea lions took up residence at the pier, and a welcome home party!

The party had been planned for January, on the anniversary of the sea lions' arrival at the pier in the aftermath of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. But after reaching record numbers of 1,701 in October last year, they mysteriously disappeared, to be discovered in Oregon.

However, over the last month, to the delight of Pier 39 staff and tourists, up to 300 have returned.

And so the party is on!

Naturalists from The Marine Mammal Center and Aquarium of the Bay will be there to talk about the sea lions. Drinks are being given by Coca Cola and Crystal Geyser, and all party gifts are available while supplies last.

The party begins at 11 am and continues until 2 pm.

Sea Lions of Pier 39 Are Back and Postponed 20th Anniversary Party to be Held in Their Honour

They're back! The missing sea lions of Pier 39 have been returning to their floats over the last four weeks, and in their honour a postponed 20th anniversary party is to be held next Friday.

From pups to the big and bulbous, somnabulent, and the comical 'don't mind me!' clumsy clamberers, the beloved barking residents of K-dock are back delighting the public.

'We're so happy, it's great to have our sea lions back. We always knew they'd come back!' said Sue Muzzin, Director of Public Relations & Advertising.

The sea lions have been returning in higher numbers over the last four weeks. 'We've probably seen about 150 to 300,' Sue said today. Details of the planned party are to be released soon.

The famous California sea lions are a major tourist attraction and have been bringing prosperity to Pier 39 for 20 years.

Their numbers had risen to record highs of 1,585 in September, and 1,701 in October. And then, just as suddenly, they vanished almost overnight, their numbers dwindling to a handful.

Their migration was thought to be due to food supplies, their increase because of anchovies and their disappearance a result of a low herring  supply in the bay this winter. Many of the sea lions swum north to the Sea Lion Caves in Oregon.

Their return is thought also to be linked to food sources.

A party in January to mark the 20th anniversary of their arrival was mostly postponed. Instead of the planned celebration, a much smaller event was held. Docents from the Marine Mammal Center met with the public at the pier to talk about the sea lions.

The animals started to congregate there in January 1990, just weeks after the October, 1989, Loma Prieta earthquake. There were between 10 - 50 at first, but by March of that year numbers had risen to over 300.

Abagnale the Pier 39 Sea Lion Returned to the Wild

 Abagnale, the Pier 39 sea lion entangled in a fishing line and who was rescued nearly 100 miles away, has recovered from his injuries and was released back into the wild today.

'There was a wonderful audience to see him go, with members of the public, school groups and the media,' said Marine Mammal Center spokesman, Jim Oswald this afternoon.

Abagnale was released at Rodeo Beach in the Marin Headlands, not far from the Center's Sausalito headquarters, at about 12.15 pm.

Yesterday, the Center put out a press release giving Abagnale a clean bill of health. 'Veterinarians gave Abagnale a second examination this week and it appears that there are no other medical complications. His wounds are showing signs of healing, he’s active, eating and is quite feisty!

'Veterinarians feel confident that he’ll thrive wonderfully back in the ocean.' 

Are staff sorry to see him go?

'No! On the contrary!' They are very happy,' said Jim. 'This is a story of successful treatment and of an animal being able to return to the wild.'

Abagnale was dehydrated and malnourished when captured but today is returning to the ocean weighing a healthy 347 lbs, a gain of 46 lbs from when he was admitted into the center on January 24.

In the animal hospital he was kept in a private pen for his recovery due to the fact that he had been entangled for several weeks, and was also stressed from the many rescue attempts and being in a strange place.

But with rest and antibiotics he soon began to recover and found his appetite. He ate just over 100 lbs of herring during his 13-day stay!

The specialist rescue team logged just over 280 hours of rescue time, a major feat as this compares with about 900 hours over the whole of last year.

His rescue was 'not completely unique but it was traumatic,' said Jim. The rescue team of 14 trained volunteers, lead by Sue Pemberton - pic - are trained specifically with the benefit of the center's experience of 35 years and over 15,000 marine mammal rescues.

And safety both of the animals and the team is their concern. As Marjorie Boor, who scoured the seas in a rescue boat around Fisherman's Wharf and Alcatraz in the hunt for Abagnale said of sea lions, 'They are intelligent. You can look them in the eye and tell there's some connection there. But make no mistake, they'll bite your arm right off.'

Most of the animals needing to be rescued are entwined in marine debris such as plastics, netting, fishing line and crab-pot lines.

Abagnale's story illustrates the point. 'It represents the danger of marine debris and how it can affect marine mammals,' said Jim. He urged people to 'take a second look' at how their behaviour can cause marine debris.

And they are emphasising this point on the Center website.

Abagnale was first spotted late in the evening of New Year's Day at Fisherman's Wharf but a rescue attempt was postponed until daylight the following day for safety reasons. Soon after that, however, he swum nearly 100 miles to Moss Landing and was next seen five days later in Monterey Bay.

It also marks a 'first' in the way center staff were able to capture him. After three weeks and 20 rescue attempts the elusive Abagnale - he was named after Leonardo diCaprio's character in 'Catch Me If You Can' - had mild sedatives shot into him to slow him down while in the water.

Animals are not normally sedated in water in case they drown.

pics from the Marine Mammal Center photographer, Maria de Stafanis.

For more pics and info, and a video: www.marinemammalcenter.org

Pier 39 Sea Lion, Abagnale, Recovering

 

Abagnale, the elusive Pier 39 sea lion rescued on Sunday, is continuing to recover in his pool at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito.

Now that staff have had time to assess him, they estimate his age to be about seven or eight years, and consider him to be about 100 lbs underweight. He is currently weighing about 250 - 300 lbs.

Today, he has eaten a little herring, and staff are optimistic about his recovery, center spokesman, Jim Oswald, said later this afternoon.

Abagnale is being given antibiotics for the swellings around his muzzle and neck caused by the fishing line, but apart from the malnourishment and dehydration suffered during his three weeks of evading capture, does not have any other health problems, say the veterinarians.

Nevertheless, he is 'a little agitated and very, very wary of humans, which is probably a good thing,' added Jim. Staff at the center hope to be able to return him to the wild and so retaining his instincts as a wild animal will help him adjust once again to his natural environment, he said.

pic shows Abagnale after his rescue - courtesy of the Marine Mammal Center website

www.marinemammalcenter.org

Entangled Pier 39 Sea Lion Rescued At Last!

The entangled Pier 39 sea lion was rescued yesterday afternoon at Moss Landing after 20 failed rescue attempts in three weeks.

He is now recovering in the Marine Mammal Center headquarters at Sausalito, and sporting the new name of Abagnale, after the con artist in the Leonardo diCaprio movie 'Catch Me If You Can.'

 His rescuers from the Marine Mammal Center, including two veterinarians, achieved a 'first' in their style of rescue: they shot sedatives into him to slow him down in order to net him. This has never been done before in a free-swimming marine mammal in the wild, say the center, because of risks that too much sedative could cause the animal to drown if he eludes rescue and swims off in the water again.

But Abagnale's condition was deteriorating - he was severely dehydrated and malnourished - and the team were getting desperate.

'We knew that all of our options were running out and that this animal was getting weaker and that he might not live much longer,' said Dr  Frances Gulland, Director of Veterinary Science at The Marine Mammal Center. 'We had to do something to save this animal, especially since he was entangled in marine debris in the first place as a result of human carelessness.'

Veterinarians Dr Nicola Pussini and Dr Bill Van Bonn went out in the team's Zodiac craft.

'With the boat’s motor off, drifting stealthily toward the sea lion, Dr. Pussini saw the opportunity, and with the first shot, delivered the dart into the animal,' said the center in their press release. The sea lion dived back into the water but then climbed out onto another dock, and Dr Pussini was able to shoot a second into him. The darts were filled with the anti-anxiety sedative, Midazolam.

Once netted, he was lifted into a large metal carrier and then transported via truck to the Center’s Sausalito hospital headquarters.

There, veterinarians anesthetized him and 'removed the monofilament that was deeply imbedded into his neck and mouth.' The sea lion is now on medication and veterinarians will continue to treat his injuries and run tests to see if he suffers from other medical complications.

The sea lion had been spotted on the evening of New Year's Day in Pier 39 with fishing line wrapped tightly around his neck and muzzle. Rescue attempts the following morning failed and volunteeers scoured the bay for him.

But he swam nearly 100 miles south to Moss Landing at Monterey and hauled out on the floating docks there, where the local unit of the marine center made other rescue attempts. Although they noted he was dehydrated and malnourished, in consultation with veterinarians and the National Marine Fisheries Service, they adopted a 'stand down' policy, due to him becoming distressed and concern that rescue attempts were causing the fishing line to tighten.

But by the end of yesterday, the team were celebrating.

'It’s a wonderful feeling of relief to be able to rescue this animal, said Sue Pemberton, leader of the Water Rescue Team unit. 'At the end of the day, no matter how difficult a rescue becomes, it is all worth it when we succeed,' she said.

About eight per cent of animals rescued by the center last year were entangled in marine debris.

pics courtesy of the Marine Mammal Center website

www.marinemammalcenter.org

Pier 39 Sea Lion Party Postponed!

How do you hold a party without the guests of honour?

Even more so, how do you celebrate when an expected 1,700 guests of honour have almost all decided to give the party a miss?

That was the question facing Pier 39 and the Marine Mammal Center who were due to be rolling out the flags today and tomorrow to mark the 20th anniversary of the sea lions' arrival at Fisherman's Wharf.

The sea lions started to congregate there in January 1990, just weeks after the October, 1989, Loma Prieta earthquake. There were between 10 - 50 at first, but by March of that year numbers had risen to over 300.

Party organizers made an initial decision to 'carry on regardless' and celebrate with the few sea lions who have decided that waters aren't blue-er on the other side of the ocean, but now, instead, they have voted to postpone and wait for their barking buddies to return.

'The 20th anniversary of the sea lions’ arrival to Pier 39 is a pivotal one so Pier 39 and The Marine Mammal Center want to make sure that the “guests of honor” are in attendance. We’ve decided to hold a bigger celebration of their mass return a little later this year for all to enjoy,' says Pier 39's press release.

However, Pier 39 and the center have not abandoned their party plans outright. Over today, Friday, Jan 15, and tomorrow, Saturday, Jan 16, docents from the center will be there at K-dock from 11 am until 4 pm, says Sue Muzzin,  Director of Public Relations & Advertising, 'to inform the public about the sea lions and their recent atypical behavior.'

The sea lions' pattern of behaviour this year has been a mystery, swinging from record highs in the fall down to a handful following Thanksgiving.

'Why so many descended on the Pier this year - some 1,701 to be exact – and why so many left all at once, is a mystery, but may certainly have something to do with shifting food sources in the SF Bay,' say Pier 39.

There are reports that hundreds of them have swum north to Sea Lion Caves in Oregon in quest of anchovies. The sea lions normally feed on herring and squid in San Francisco's Bay, and it is known that the herring supply is low this year. Sited 500 miles up the coast, the caves are another tourist attraction.

USA today quotes Kim Raum-Suryan, a biologist at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, saying that numbers of California sea lions 'had doubled to some 5,000 in December and, like other scientists, figures the simple answer is food.'

'My gut feeling is it has something to do with the (ocean warming) El Nino conditions off California, which is driving prey and sea lions up north,' she is reported to have said.

What she cannot say is how many of the California sea lions there have come from Pier 39. Some sea lions are branded, but those from Fisherman's Wharf are only tagged if they have been treated by the Marine Mammal Center, based in Sausalito, or if they have been part of a scientific study.

The center are licensed to tag for specific scientific studies, but mass tagging would not be considered, said Jim Oswald, spokesman for the center.

'They are healthy, wild animals. It would not be feasible and would be disruptive for them,' he said.

A history of the arrival of the sea lions at Pier 39: 
http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/learning/education/pier39/history.asp

USA Today:  http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2010-01-12-san-francisco-sea-lions_N.htm

Rescue for Entangled Pier 39 Sea Lion Still Too Difficult

 



The entangled Pier 39 sea lion that swum to Monterey was spotted this morning on a floating dock but could not be rescued, says Jim Oswald, spokesman for the Marine Mammal Center.

'He was spotted earlier this morning on a pontoon in a very difficult location,' said Jim, the difficulty being that the sea lion could easily have dived back into the water if approached by rescuers.

The center are going to continue to monitor him and do not know yet when a rescue attempt will be made.

'We need to give the animal some space still. We are keeping his health upmost and will attempt a rescue when it is actually possible,' said Jim.

The 'stand off' decision was made last Friday as the animal was becoming distressed, and amid fears that his escape attempts from rescuers was causing the fishing line to tighten.

The sea lion has eluded rescuers seven times since it was spotted in Monterey, having swum the near-100 miles to Moss Landing. Prior to that, it was first reported injured at Pier 39 late at night on the previous Friday, but slipped into the water before a rescue attempt was made.

pics from the Marine Mammal Center taken last week: the entangled sea lion is joined by another - Deborah Gabris; swimming in Moss Landing Harbor - Sherm Gloub; members of the Marine Mammal Center in Monterey with rescue equipment - Sherm Gloub

Marine Mammal Center Adopt 'Stand Down' Strategy for Entangled Pier 39 Sea Lion

The Marine Mammal Center are changing their rescue strategy of the entangled Pier 39 sea lion as rescue efforts 'may be causing more harm than good,' center spokesman Jim Oswald said in the wake of another two failed rescue attempts today.
Instead of attempting to capture the animal, rescuers at Moss Landing, Monterey Bay, are going to 'stand down' and give the dehydrated and malnourished animal some space.

There have now been seven failed rescue attempts since the animal showed up at Moss Landing on Wednesday lunchtime, having swum nearly 100 miles from Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf. It was first  reported entangled in what looks like a fishing line at about 10 pm on Friday night.

The concern, said Jim Oswald this afternoon, is that the animal is becoming stressed by the rescue efforts. The sea lion is 'so cogniscent' of all that is happening, he said. A second concern is that the sea lion's escape antics are tightening the line around his neck and muzzle.

In evading rescuers, who made two attempts on Wednesday, three yesterday and two this morning, he is jumping out of nets and up and down from docks in the harbor.  Already, he is malnourished and dehydrated, said Jim.

The animal has been seen lapping sea water, a sign of dehydration. Whether the animal can open his muzzle enough to eat small fish is not known. If the animal is still at Moss Landing next week, efforts to capture him will be renewed on Wednesday or Thursday, said Jim.

The decision to 'stand down' has been taken in consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service who license the center, and veterinarians.

The Center will continue to monitor the Moss Landing Harbor and other areas. Video of the rescue attempts on Wednesday were filmed by CBS5 and the video has been posted on the center website along with their own photos.

Center Director, Jeff Boehm, has also written a public explanation of the reasons behind the center's decision to postpone making a rescue at Pier 39 until daylight on Saturday morning.

'Center staff elected to wait until morning to attempt to rescue the animal and that response surprised, angered and frustrated many,' he said, and goes on to explain the dangers and difficulties of animal rescues.

'In this situation, my staff responded in a manner that reflected concern for the animal’s best interests, and the safety of the Center’s volunteers and staff. In what was an important and critical assessment, compassion may have seemed lacking, but I can assure you it wasn’t. We care deeply about each stranded seal or sea lion that is reported to us—we wouldn’t be in this line of work if that wasn’t the case. I also want to assure you that the approach we take is based on 35 years of experience in rescuing and treating more than 15,000 marine mammals.'

For the full text of Jeff Boehm's response, further info + video:

 http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/learning/comm/entangledsealions.asp

Jeff Boehm's response can be accessed in the report titled 'Rescue efforts continue for three entangled California sea lions.'


pics taken for Marine Mammal Center and posted on their website:
sea lion sitting upright - Deborah Gabris; rescuer approaching the sea lion on the first day - Sherm Gloub ; sea lion on the dock - Sherm Gloub  

Injured Sea Lion Believed to be from Pier 39 Discovered at Monterey - But Escapes from Rescuers!

An injured and trussed sea lion, believed to be the one from Pier 39, was found this lunchtime 100 miles down the coast in Monterey Bay - but has eluded rescuers for the second time.

A call to the Marine Mammal Center at Moss Landing was received at 1 pm said a rescue spokesman this evening. Although there has not been a positive identification that it is the same sea lion, the animal had similar entanglements around his neck and muzzle and rescuers say there is a 'good chance' that it is the missing one.

'We mobilized a rescue unit with a water rescue team,' said the spokesman, which meant there were people both in the water and on the dock.

They made two attempts to capture the sea lion. On the first, at 3.00 pm, they were able to get within reach of him, but he slipped away. However, he resurfaced on another dock and a second attempt was made at 3.30 pm.

Rescuers had him in a net in the water, but 'by then he was very aware of our intentions,' said the spokesman, and he escaped.

Since then he has not resurfaced at Moss Landing but he is thought to be around the area.

One of the concerns about the animal when it was at Pier 39 was that the entanglement, that looked like a fishing line, was preventing him from eating.

'He is definitely thin, moderately underweight,' said the spokesman, but the 'good news', he added, is that sea lions are hardy animals and can endure weeks or even months with an entanglement before they are freed.

Were rescuers surprised to have found him as far away as Monterey?

'It's not unusual. These guys can travel large distances to Oregan and southern California,' he said.

The Marine Mammal Center at Moss Landing is part of the same unit in Sausalito from where the original search was launched. Jim Oswald, media spokesman for the Sausalito headquarters, said that eight members of the Monterey team had been involved in the rescue.

The animal had looked lethargic as rescuers approached within 12 ft, said Jim, giving the appearance of a much higher chance of a successful rescue, but he was 'much more "up" if you will.' On the first attempt they approached the animal from behind, and even though he dived off the dock into a kamikaze net in the water, he got out of the net and away.

Controversy has surrounded the initial finding of the sea lion at 10 pm on Friday night, regarding the Marine Mammal Center's refusal to attempt to rescue him until daylight the following morning. Conditions at Pier 39 were 'extremely dangerous,' said Jim.

The animal looked tantalizingly close, lying on the float in K-Dock. Could someone not have snipped the entanglement at least off his muzzle?

Jim agreed that camera footage had shown a docile animal but said that on approach an animal like that is likely to jump away. Also they did not know if the fishing line had embedded hooks into his neck.

'We don't know enough,' he said, and safety of both people and the animal was the main concern.

The sea lion was on a moving float without lights. Even if there were lights at the pier, the lights would not be able to be moved around to follow the animal in the water, he said.

Another hazard, he had since discovered, was what lies under the water in K-Dock. There is all kind of debris, trash and metal, he said. 'So that's why you want to be in daylight to see what is going on.'

With an animal rescue, he said, 'you get one chance. You have to make the most of the opportunity.'

For now, the center is on the alert for the sea lion and two others also reported with entanglements. One was seen at Hyde Street Pier and the other at Belvedere, beyond the Golden Gate Bridge.

The Marine Mammal Center has triage units in Sausalito, where a new center, four years in the building, opened last year, Moss Landing and Morro Bay. It covers a 600-mile stretch along the California coastline, from Mendocino County to San Luis Obispo County.

pics show volunteer Marjorie Boor searching for the sea lion on Saturday morning at Pier 39, and sea lions at the pier

No Sight of Injured Pier 39 Sea Lion but Missing Sea Lion Colony may be Returning

The injured and entangled sea lion that slipped in a distressed state into the sea at Pier 39 early Saturday morning has still not been found - but some of the sea lion colony that mysteriously disappeared in November returned today.

Sue Muzzin, Pier 39's Director of Public Relations and Advertizing, said of the injured sea lion, 'There has not been a sighting of him since Saturday.'

She confirmed that members of the Marine Mammal Center of Sausalito called off their boat search at the end of yesterday. They had patrolled the bay around the Embarcadero, Hyde Street Pier and Alcatraz for two days.
The seal, thought to be a male weighing around 350-375 lbs, was spotted at about 10 pm on Friday night in K-Dock at the pier at Fisherman's Wharf. On-lookers were critical of the center when Erin Brodie, Stranding Coordinator, said it would be too dangerous to attempt a rescue in the dark on a slippery float.

The rescue attempt was postponed until daylight, but the sea lion suddenly slipped into the water and vanished just before 7 am on Saturday. He was bound around the neck and muzzle with what appeared to be a fishing line.

Since then two other sea lions with entanglements have been reported.

One was seen at Hyde Street Pier late on Saturday afternoon and a rescue attempt begun, but the animal went back into the sea. The other has been spotted at Belvedere, north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

'The Marine Mammal Center is ready for any kind of rescue they can provide,' said Sue Muzzin.

At the same time, there has been another unexpected happening. There appears to be a return of some of the sea lion colony that vanished from Pier 39 late November. From record numbers of over 1,500 animals in the fall, the herd suddenly became a handful.

However, at 11 am today, Harbormaster Sheila Candor counted 20 sea lions congregating on the floats. Even though the Harbormaster counted 26 sea lions in the area last Wednesday, said Sue Muzzin, it is the first time since the mass exodus that there have been so many together.

'We think that's a promising sign,' she said. Certainly, walking up the pier this afternoon, a familiar barking had replaced the ghostly silence of the last few weeks.

Does she think they will return? She quoted Marine Mammal Center Director Jeff Boehm, saying that staff "were not concerned, just curious."

'We believe that they will be back,' she said. 'It will make all the staff of Pier 39 very happy. We miss them.'

The sea lions have generated enormous media interest. This afternoon as I interviewed Sue, she had just finished a call to a blogger with the New York Times.

pics show the sea lions on the float at Pier 39; the viewing platform full once more; tourists showing interest in the Marine Mammal Center information box on Pier 39, with illustrations of a sea lion rescue; a lone sea lion once again swimming in Mission Creek, further down the bay

No Sign of Injured Pier 39 Sea Lion

There were no signs of any sightings today of the two sea lions from Fisherman's Wharf that had been spotted entangled in what are thought to be fishing lines.

Members of the Marine Mammal Center of Sausalito spent hours yesterday searching for the first of the injured sea lions shown in filming by CBS5 to be both injured and trussed around his neck and muzzle.

The distressed animal was seen at Pier 39 and reported to the center late on Friday night, but a rescue was postponed until daylight the following day. In the interim, the sea lion vanished back into the water.

Then at Hyde Street Pier late yesterday afternoon, a sighting of a second sea lion with possibly a fishing line around it's neck was reported and a rescue attempt made, but this animal also disappeared back into the sea.

Members of the center have continued to search with one craft, but are also on a 'watch and wait' mode, hoping that the sea lions will either haul out in daylight for a rescue attempt to be made, or that they will be sighted in the bay.

 At Fisherman's Wharf this afternoon, a slightly larger number of sea lions than were there yesterday were stretched out on the end pontoon.

pics show the sea lions at 1 pm on the pontoon, and catching the interest of tourists on the Blue & Gold Fleet ferry; the bay at the end of Pier 39 with Alcatraz in the background; the view from Hyde Street Pier looking across Aquatic Park at North Beach, with only swimmers in the water.