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

Mavericks No Vote Tomorrow but Contest May Be On Sunday!

The Mavericks big-wave surf contest may now be held at Half Moon Bay on Sunday instead of Friday or Saturday.

Mavericks surfers have postponed voting on whether or not to call the contest. Yesterday, they were due to vote on Wednesday or Thursday for contests that would take place on Friday or Saturday.

When the much-anticipated 'contest call' is made by the 24 invitees to the Mavericks Surf Contest, they have just 24 hours to get there. The invitees are some of the world's greatest big-wave surfers, and this year's competition carries a record roll-over prize of $150,000.

Contest Co-director, Katherine Clark, said early this evening that the vote had been postponed to Friday, when they were hoping to predict a Pacific swell that would produce consistent 20ft waves throughout Sunday.

However, at the Opening Ceremony in November, veteran Mavericks surfer, Grant Washburn, described a wave with a 40 ft face as 'smallish' for Mavericks. His perfect wave was a smooth 50 footer. Anything over 60 ft, for the three-times contestant finalist who has been surfing there for 20 years, was too big!

'I don't want to get into that,' said Katherine, referring to the technicalities of wave measurement.

But she said she was referring to what is known as a  '20ft Hawaiian' wave, and the surfers would be happy with that.

Most of the surfers are already along the Californian coastline, with some in Hawaii and one in South Africa.

Contest sponsors are Sony Ericsson and Barracuda Networks.

For updates on the contest: maverickssurf.com

pics show the invitees and Alternates at the Opening Ceremony; Grant Washburn with 19-year-old Colin Dwyer of Pacifica, one of the Alternates

for Grant's interview at the Opening Ceremony:  
http://lizinsanfrancisco.blogspot.com/2009/10/grant-washburn-on-calling-mavericks.html 

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

2009/2010 Mavericks Surf Contest May Be Called This Weekend!

Mavericks surfers are watching the jet stream and swells out in the Pacific, in the chance that the annual big-wave surf competition might just be held this week.

Their latest tweet says, 'Pacific is pretty active, but we need the jet stream to come together.'

Contest co-director Katherine Clark said the surfers had been put on alert to vote on Wednesday and Thursday.

 A 'yes' vote on Wednesday will mean a contest on Friday, a vote on Thursday will see the surfers hitting the waves on Saturday.

'The Call', when it is made, will have 24 of the world's greatest big-wave surfers rushing to Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco.

If the contest isn't called then, 'right behind it is another swell,' said Katherine. But the surfers are on their toes for this weekend.

'Everybody's on call,' she said - and under orders from the Maverick's Matriarch to 'start paying attention!'

But 'The Call' rests with the surfers, the big change in the running of the contest since Mavericks pioneer Jeff Clark is no longer Contest Director and calling the contest himself.

'It's their job and they're taking it very seriously,' Katherine said.

After tonight, she added, they would have a clearer idea of the likelihood of a contest. 'The season is really starting to come together. We've had about ten days when they could surf,' she added, expecting  that El Nino would further enhance swells.

The surfers are now close at hand. Many are living locally around Half Moon Bay, San Francisco, Santa Cruz and southern California. Those who live in Hawaii are still there - 'there's been some great waves in Hawaii'. Furthest away is Chris Bertish who is in South Africa. His fellow countryman, Grant 'Twiggy' Baker, has been living in San Francisco since just after the contest window opened on November 1.

Reigning champion Greg Long is in his home area in southern California. He is a strong contender for the crown having won the prestigious Eddie Aikau big-wave contest in Hawaii in December.

The Mavericks contest takes place about half a mile off shore, just off Pillar Point at Half Moon Bay. It is considered to be one of the most dangerous surfing spots in the world, with thunderous waves, rocks and frigid temperatures.

When the contest is called - and last year there was no contest due to a lack of swell - an expected 40,000 fans will cram along the shoreline. Millions of others will either be in the Giants' AT & T ballpark in San Francisco for a live broadcast or watching on TVs and computers.

As the popularity of the contest grows, the Mavericks organization are using digital technology to make it more accessible than ever.

The contest is sponsored by Sony Ericsson and Barracuda Networks with a record roll-over prize of $150,000.

To keep an eye on the 'contest call': maverickssurf.com

Pics show Ryan Seelbach, Alex Martins, Chris Bertish at the Opening Ceremony; Katherine Clark with 'Doc' Pascowitz and surfers

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.

Hunt for Injured Pier 39 Sea Lion

A sea hunt for an injured sea lion spotted yesterday by tourists at Pier 39 has been underway from early this morning.

The Marine Mammal Center of Sausalito sent out a small craft at daylight to scour the bay.

The sea lion was seen yesterday on a float down the front of Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf with what NBC11 reported as wire or netting wrapped around his muzzle and possibly rope around his neck.
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local-beat/Search-Is-On-For-Injured-Sea-Lion-80503827.html

However, although members of the Marine Mammal Center went late at night to see the sea lion, early this morning it slipped off the float and disappeared into the bay. Marjorie Boor, a volunteer with the center who was at the helm of the search craft, said she thought it had gone back into the water sometime around 6.30 to 7.00 am.

The sea lion is considered to be a 'pretty big' male, weighing around 350-375 pounds.

'We are in "watch and wait" mode, Marjorie said, having pulled up her craft in K-Dock just before midday.

She wasn't sure of the extent of the injuries or entanglement. There was a possibility the sea lion had managed to shake the noose off his muzzle and was able to swim and feed unhampered. 'Basically, he's going out to forage,' she said.

'The worse case scenario is that he won't be able to eat, he'll be so weak we'll be able to pick him up, take him to the center and fatten him up.' She was confident that the sea lion, if still in distress, would be found over the next couple of days because injured sea lions haul out, she said.

Her search was taking her between Pier 39 and Alcatraz, where there were bull seals, and around the Embarcadero and Hyde Street Pier.

It has been reported by NBC11 that early onlookers were critical of the apparent lack of action taken by the Marine Mammal Center.

However, Marjorie said that trying to pick up sea lions that are not restrained and secure is a risky business.

'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.'

Anaesthesia was also not the answer, she said. To pick up a sea lion, a 'kamikaze' net would need to be put around the float. But sea lions can twist their necks quickly in a figure of 8, flip out of the net and slip into the water and disappear.

The danger to the sea lion is that if it flipped out before the drug had taken effect, it would die in the sea. The other problem generally with an anaesthetic is that it masks the condition of an animal. We need to know 'how up is it?' she said.

'The last thing we want to do is pick up an animal. They're better at healing themselves than we are.'

Marjorie was the only person from the center searching the bay because it is a land-based operation and is not equipped or licensed to pick up wild animals in the sea, she added.

What did she think of the missing herd of sea lions from Pier 39 who from being at record numbers of over 1,500 animals in the fall and rising to 1,700, had mysteriously dwindled to a handful by the end of November? And where did she think they might be?

They had gone in search of food, she said, listing some of the places she thought they would be: the Farallon Islands, Moss Beach, the Channel Islands, off the southern California coast, and Año Nuevo Island, where there is a herd of elephant seals.

The sea lions have famously been at Pier 39 for exactly 20 years this month, moving there in the aftermath of the Loma Prieta earthquake. Although they are migratory, their numbers have never been so low.

'I've seen them disappear before, but I've seen them come back!' said Marjorie.

'They'll be back!'

pics show news crews and a few early morning tourists scanning K-Dock; a handful of midday tourists with only three sea lions and themselves to photograph

An on-the-spot report by CBS5 journalist, Joe Vazquez, not only captures the plight of the injured sea lion on camera but details the conflict between Erin Brodie, Stranding Coordinator of the Marine Mammal Center, who said protocols prevented a nighttime rescue attempt, and members of the public who wanted to see immediate intervention.

Tonight there are reports of a second sea lion being spotted with entanglements at Hyde Street Pier at the opposite end of Fisherman's Wharf. Jim Oswald, media spokesperson for the Marine Mammal Center, is reported on CBS5 as saying that two rescue attempts failed and the sea lion slipped back into the sea.

See CBS5.com

Sea Lions of Fisherman's Wharf Mysteriously Disappear

It's a Christmas mystery. Not quite a 'who dunnit' but more 'Where in the world are the sea lions of Fisherman's Wharf?'

From an over-populated growth of more than 1,500 animals in September, the colony has almost vanished.

Latest pictures from Pier 39 taken at midday today shows the floats empty except for one.

Below, are the crowded pontoons in October when six new floats, originally intended as replacements were instead added, raising the number of floats to approximately 40.

On Christmas Day, there was one lone sea lion in the far corner of the pontoons, and one 'family' - pictured - sitting on a jetty on the side.

Sheila Chandor, Harbormaster at Pier 39, said that while there is an element of speculation in the sudden disappearance, she thinks it is linked to the food supply.

"I think the herd had a good feeding source here throughout the summer and have left to follow a food source further south. An indicator is that we only have two herring boats in the bay currently,' she said, and those, she thought, were there to monitor spawn. Herring season had been cancelled this year due to a low herring count, she said.

However, she is confident that the sea lions have not bade permanent farewell to San Francisco.

'This is a long established haul out site so I do not doubt that they will return.This is an unusual event in that we normally have our largest numbers in the fall/winter and smallest in the summer breeding season,' she said.

The sea lions started to congregate in K-dock in January 1990, just months after the October 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. They proved such an attraction they brought prosperity to Pier 39 at a time when the rest of the city was financially depleted, and have continued to entertain millions of tourists ever since.