Favorite sea lion departs Laguna

Suzie Harrison

After 10 months of loving care at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center,

Tommy, a California sea lion pup, will say goodbye to Laguna Beach on

March 19.

Tommy’s departure from the only home he’s known to his permanent

residence at the Rio Grande Zoo in Albuquerque, N.M. is bittersweet.

Rescued as a newborn on May 24, Tommy has defied all odds.

When he was found in a frigid tide pool in the wee hours, Tommy

weighed a mere 15 pounds and was only 28 1/2 inches in length. He is

now approximately 40 inches long and boasts 76 pounds -- well on his

way to reaching his expected weight of more than 800 pounds.

When rescued, the small, fuzzy sea lion had tiny ears and a

puppy-like face that endeared him to rescuers and the public.

Michele Hunter, Pacific Marine Mammal Center director, and Kirsten

Sedlick, education coordinator, reminisced about Tommy’s remarkable

journey.

“Michele and I were here when we received a phone call from a

private citizen who began to hear wailing like a baby’s cry at 3

a.m.,” Sedlick said.

With binoculars she spotted the tiny sea lion by the rocks at Moss

Point.

“When Michele got the first call ... at that point the mom was

with him, we didn’t want to intervene,” Sedlick said.

Animal care officer Joy Falk was first on the scene. Falk could

see where the mother had climbed up the rocks and given birth.

“We waited three hours to see if the mother would come back

because we always want nature [to prevail] first,” Sedlick said

Tommy had tumbled off the rocks into a tide pool, his umbilical

cord still attached.

“Sea lions are very maternal. For her to leave, she was probably

sick,” Hunter said.

Sea lions normally give birth at rookeries on sandy beaches.

Former marine mammal education director Beate Litz rescued Tommy.

“He came in hypothermic,” Litz said in an earlier interview. “He

was sitting in icy cold water without a mom.”

Sedlick said that Litz took off her sweatshirt and wrapped Tommy

in it; she put him in the front seat and blasted the heat to warm

him.

“He was immediately warmed in a tub and checked by the vet,”

Sedlick said. “His lungs were clear, which was good. We worked around

the clock and watched him.”

A lot has changed since his early days. When Hunter calls Tommy’s

name, he slides right up to her on his belly.

“He likes to be near me, he clings,” Hunter said. “Tommy will

suckle on my pants and arm. He doesn’t want me to leave and will

stand on my feet.”

Tommy started the weaning process in December. The staff took him

step-by-step, getting Tommy used to the idea.

“This is the first time we have successfully weaned a hand-reared

pup from a bottle,” Hunter said. “They prefer that he be weaned

because it can be a traumatic experience.”

The weaning process meant introducing Tommy to the concept of

eating fish and making him less reliant on a marine mammal milk

replacement formula.

“We cut tiny little pieces of fish with no skin and put it in the

nipple of his bottle to suck on,” Hunter said.

Because Tommy was a newborn and required hand-rearing he has

become dependent on humans -- and was deemed “unreleasable” into the

wild by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

“We thought the Rio Grande Zoo was the best place, they seem very

caring,” Hunter said. “It’s progressive, keeping them occupied so

they don’t get bored. They’re stimulated and it will give him a

better quality of life.”

“For many, it’s bittersweet to see him go.

“I’m happy because we were really uncertain about his condition,”

Sedlick said. “I’m very sad to see him go, but I am happy knowing

everyone gave Tommy care and love. I truly believe he knows he’s

lucky and got a second chance.”

Pacific Marine Mammal Center, 20612 Laguna Canyon Road, is open

from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Admission is free, but donations are

welcome. For information, call (949) 494-3050.