Marine Center Shares Day in the Life of a Sea Lion and It’s Too Cute
Known as the "puppies of the sea," sea lions are adored by many people due to their playful and charismatic ways.
The Pacific Marine Mammal Center (PMMC), which often rescues and rehabilitates sea lions, shared a video, posted on October 5, of one of their sea lion puppies named Raindrop and what a day in his life looks like. Let's see for ourselves!
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The Pacific Marine Mammal Center (PMMC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of marine mammals in Southern California, specifically in the Orange County area. PMMC primarily focuses on the rehabilitation of marine mammals, including seals and sea lions, which are often found stranded or injured along the California coastline.
Sea lions are a significant focus of PMMC's work, and the center has extensive experience in their care.
Raindrop and his friends look like they were rescues brought to the PMMC when they were already very young, as the PMMC receives reports and calls about stranded or injured sea lions from concerned citizens, beachgoers, and local authorities.
These sea lions can become stranded due to a variety of reasons, including injury, illness, malnutrition, entanglement in marine debris, and sometimes even human interference.
Once sea lions are brought to PMMC, they undergo a thorough evaluation by the center's team of marine mammal experts, including veterinarians and biologists. The animals receive specialized medical care, rehabilitation, and treatment for their specific conditions, as well as tons of yummy "ceviche," aka fishy treats.
The ultimate goal of PMMC is to rehabilitate sea lions and release them back into their natural habitat, as they don't know how to swim at birth and have to learn it, which they would usually learn from their mothers.
The timing of release depends on the individual animal's recovery progress, and they are typically released once they are healthy, strong, and able to forage for food independently.
After release, PMMC often continues to monitor the sea lions to ensure their successful reintegration into the wild. They may also use tracking devices to gather data on the animals' post-release movements and behaviors, which contributes to research efforts.
That being said, the PMMC plays a vital role in the rescue and rehabilitation of sea lions, contributing to the conservation of these charismatic marine mammals. Their work not only benefits the individual animals they rescue but also contributes to a broader understanding of marine mammal health and conservation in the region.
A sea lion is essentially a dog with flippers, as some TikTokers suggested.
Indeed, they are.
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