ON THE WATER: Captain Hook to set sails

A sea lion known in Newport Beach as “Captain Hook” is awaiting release from the Pacific Marine Mammal Center after getting snagged in fishing lines and hooks for the second time since October.

The nearly 578-pound male is scheduled to be released as soon as the center’s staff finds a secluded beach on which it can free him.

Meanwhile, he’s recuperating at the Laguna Beach facility, where he gets fed 40 pounds of fish daily and spends most of his time lying around.

This year the center rescued roughly 200 to 250 sea lions. Many had been sickened as a result of algae blooms off the coast this spring that killed thousands of sea animals including birds, otters and other mammals.

Twelve of the rescues this year were animals entangled in harbor nets.

Local lifeguards have seen a number of sea lions get caught in the lines off the Newport Pier directly in front of lifeguard headquarters.

“It happens occasionally where a sea lion will go after someone’s bait,” said Lifeguard Mike Ure. “Really there’s not a lot to do. The good news is a lot of the hooks they have actually dissolve, or will fall out of their lips after a couple of weeks.”

Captain Hook was stuck with 70 hooks, and several lines of fishing wire on Oct. 28, said Kirsten Sedlick, the center’s animal care supervisor.

At the time he was ensnared, on the beach near the Balboa Pier, he weighed about 500 pounds.

The animal was released back into the ocean on Nov. 14 just off the coast of San Onofre, 30 miles to the south. He returned Nov. 19, beaching himself in front of the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort and Marina just inside the Newport Back Bay.

“It is a fairly odd place for him to show up,” Sedlick said. “When we went down he had several lures and hooks in him again.”

Like most sea lions on land, Captain Hook lunged at the people who attempted to approach him prior to his capture, including wildlife authorities and firefighters, Sedlick said.

“When a sea lion beaches itself, it’s either sick or injured in some way,” said Sedlick, who advised: “Call us, and we will assess the situation. They can be very aggressive animals. They have the ability to bite with 10 times the strength of a pit bull.”

Even in the water, divers and swimmers need to be wary of sea lions. Most of those that approach humans are younger animals just breaking away from their parents, Sedlick said.

“They are naturally curious, especially the pup and juvenile. You will rarely have an adult approach you.”

If an adult comes toward a person, Sedlick said, it’s usually to protect their young.

More often than not, females are more likely to attack; however, there is a time of year during breeding season — between May and August — when males will attack instantly.

During breeding season, males are fasting and are basically cranky.

“They’re just protecting their territory,” she said.

KELLY STRODL may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at kelly.strodl@latimes.com.