Rescue on the Beach

The Marine Mammal Center crew helpout a seal snared in a plastic strap

Text and images by Joan Crowder, FES docent

The impact of our careless disposal of trash hit home this month at the elephant seal viewing site at Piedras Blancas. But in a skillful rescue effort, The Marine Mammal Center gave a young elephant seal a second chance.

On November 8, a State Parks ranger and a docent from Friends of the Elephant Seal noticed a seal with something deeply embedded around its neck. Realizing that if the object remained there, the seal would probably die as its neck grew around it and it tightened even more, they notified the Marine Mammal Center triage people in Morro Bay. Some volunteers from the center came out to look at the animal. Many times these neck obstructions can be removed by distracting and obstructing the seal as someone moves in and cuts the strap off, but this one was so deep it was obvious that the seal would have to be subdued and sedated to attempt to remove it.  It was decided to call The Marine Mammal Center’s home base  in Sausalito and ask for a veterinarian, Dr. Michelle Barbieri, to come down to help with the rescue.

As the rescuers attempted to put the net over the seal, head first, the animal, which weighed about 700 pounds, headed for the water and at one point it almost got away. By the time it was stopped and re-secured, the entire operation was in a slippery rocky area offshore. Dr. Barbieri injected a sedative, and surrounding the seal with boards to prevent it from moving, the crew held tightly to the net.

When the seal calmed down, they covered its eyes and the vet moved in to remove the object, which turned out to be a tough green plastic packing strap. After removing it, she cleaned the wound, which was bleeding, and treated it to promote healing and prevent infection.  While the seal was sedated it was tagged with an orange tag, indicating that it was a rescued animal, which was placed on its left rear flipper, identifying it as a male.

As he began to wake up, the net was removed—not an easy task—and after looking around, a bit dazed, he headed slowly toward the water, his neck still raw and bloody, but freed from obstruction. The rescuers named him Green Tie. The rescue took about an hour and a half. Crew members were Lisa Harper Henderson, Gary Angelus, Jeff Sproul, Sarah Crass, and Steve Johnson.

So if you see an elephant seal with a deep scar around his neck and an orange tag on his back flipper, say, “Hi” to Green Tie.

This event is a reminder to dispose of our trash consciously, cutting apart anything that could cause an obstruction for an animal or a bird and putting it where it can’t get into the ocean or other natural environment that is home to the creatures who share our planet.          
       

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