A Successful Disentanglement Effort in the Pacific Northwest
By KC Scofield, Response Coordinator
A sea lion in Seattle with an open wound around his back and shoulder caused by a monofilament line and downrigger.
Through a collaborative effort from organizations around the Puget Sound, an adult California sea lion in Seattle was freed from a harmful entanglement.
Throughout the months of March and April, sightings of entangled California seal lions were reported in a heavily populated Seattle marina. The response network partner for the area, Sno-King Marine Mammal Stranding Network (“Sno-King”), monitored and documented each reported individual. Because of the severity of at least one of the entanglements, a response plan was developed for this highly trafficked area.
Three individuals were evaluated on the day of the response: sea lion #1 had an open wound around his back and shoulder; sea lion #2 had an entanglement around the top of the head and lower jaw; and sea lion #3 had a severe indentation around his neck. SR3, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and SeaDoc Society responded via boats while public outreach and shore visuals were provided by Seal Sitters, Sno-King, and WDFW on a drone.
Sno-King Marine Mammal Stranding Network, SeaLife Response, Rehab and Research (SR3), Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), SeaDoc Society and Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network going over the action plan for the first disentanglement.
By midday, the sea lion with the most severe entanglement (#1), was successfully sedated, disentangled of fishing gear and line, and received antibiotics for his wound. This animal was tagged and has been resighted doing well in the same area since the disentanglement efforts.
Sea lion #2 was observed next, but where he was resting was inaccessible. Photographs were taken from the boats, and updated visuals led the team to believe he was no longer entangled. We decided that no response effort would be made that day and Sno-King would continue to monitor the animal.
Sea lion #3 was sedated and assessed on the dock, and his neck injury was a healed wound from a previous entanglement. His flipper had been tagged by the last response team, but it had fallen off, so he was tagged again to ease future reporting.
Team members from WDFW and SR3 corral seal lion #3 for assessment after successful sedation.
By the end of the day, the shore support team had talked with hundreds of passerby, explaining the procedures of the boat teams and why these efforts are important. This disentanglement response was successful because of the patience, skills, and collaboration of the organizations involved, ensuring the safety of both the animals and the humans involved.