Sea lion clung to life as waves battered CA harbor. Then came ‘most challenging’ rescue
As incoming waves battered a California harbor, a sea lion faced a “life-threatening situation.”
The 172-pound sea lion, named Finn, was trapped “at the bottom of a steep sea wall, getting pounded by waves,” at Redondo Harbor on Sept. 9, the Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles said in an Oct. 25 Facebook post.
“She was found seizing and stuck in the rocks, with her survival at risk,” the center wrote.
For an hour, the center’s rescuers tried to secure the sea lion in a net to no avail.
Then, the Redondo Beach Fire Department Harbor Patrol gave rescuers “an extra rope and a boat, helping save Finn’s life,” in one of the “team’s most challenging rescues,” the center said.
Rescuers brought Finn to the San Pedro center “for a second chance.”
Initially, “her prognosis was uncertain,” the center said.
Even still, she “showed remarkable strength.”
The center said its veterinary team treated her for pneumonia and neurological symptoms.
As the days passed, Finn began to eat on her own.
“After a month of care, Finn made a full recovery and was released back into the wild,” the center said.
A video from the center of her release at White Point Beach in Los Angeles County on Oct. 15 shows Finn sitting on the beach for just a moment.
She shakes her head a few times before seemingly looking back.
Finn then slowly waddles toward the incoming waves.
Upon entering the ocean, Finn swims away and disappears into the water.
“It truly takes a village to give wildlife a second chance,” the center said.
This story was originally published October 28, 2024 at 3:04 PM with the headline "Sea lion clung to life as waves battered CA harbor. Then came ‘most challenging’ rescue."
