Merci
Trapped in Plastic: California Sea Lion Merci
Species: California sea lion
Age Class and Sex: Yearling female
Date Rescued: October 18, 2023
Rescue Location: Buoy at Point Fermin
Diagnosis: Entanglement in plastic packing strap
Date Released: November 6, 2023
One-year-old California sea lion Merci was found with a plastic packing strap digging into her neck. She was huddled alongside a group of other sea lions on a large red buoy off the coast of Point Fermin, but was easy to spot with the thin, white ring around her neck.
After approaching the buoy slowly in a small inflatable boat, the Marine Mammal Care Center’s rescue team was able to catch Merci in a net and transport her to our hospital.
Once Merci arrived, our veterinary experts were able to remove the plastic packing strap. It was a full inch smaller than the circumference of her neck and had already started cutting into her skin.
Entanglements like these are especially dangerous for young animals like Merci who are still growing. Without help, the plastic strap would have gotten tighter by the day, eventually becoming life-threatening.
Treatment for patients like Merci doesn’t end once the entanglement is removed. She also needed plenty of nutritious meals to support her healing and recovery. After about two and a half weeks in care, she had gained about 33 pounds.
Merci still has a visible scar around her neck but is otherwise healthy and was able to return to the wild with a second chance at life, entanglement-free.
Treatment for patients like Merci doesn’t end once the entanglement is removed. They also need plenty of nutritious meals to support their healing and recovery. At a cost of more than $1 per pound of fish, feeding a patient like Merci adds up to more than $10 a day! Your gift today will ensure entangled animals like Merci are free to return to the wild with a second chance.
