B.C. crews free sea lion with thick rubber band cutting into neck

For at least one year, a California sea lion survived in the wild with a thick industrial rubber band cutting into its neck.

The animal was first seen two kilometres from the shores of Metchosin at Race Rocks Ecological Reserve in October last year. However, it did not stay in the area long enough for rescuers to intervene, said the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society.

When the sea lion reappeared in September, members of Pearson College UWC’s Eco-Guardian program began monitoring the marine mammal daily, waiting for an opportunity to help.

That chance came Oct. 6, when weather conditions allowed the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society team to spring into action.

“The team sedated the sea lion via dart gun using a specialized combination of medications,” said the organization in a social media post. “Once the sedative took effect, the team discovered that the entanglement was a thick industrial rubber band cutting deeply into his neck.”

After the band was removed, the team collected blood samples and tagged the sea lion to help identify him in the future.

“Once the procedure was complete, sedation was reversed and the team monitored his recovery,” the organization said. “He has been spotted daily since the rescue.”

The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society said rescues like this require patience, persistence, skill, and collaboration.

“A huge thank you to the Race Rocks Eco-Guardians for their daily monitoring, Pearson College UWC for managing the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve and Eco-Guardian program, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada for their collaboration, vessels, and drone support,” they said.

The October rescue comes just weeks after another California sea lion needed help at Race Rocks.

In August, a rescue team removed a plastic packing band wrapped around the neck of an approximately 280-kilogram adult male.

According to the society, nearly 60 per cent of sea lion disentanglements conducted by its rescue team involve plastic packing bands – a troubling reminder of the serious threat seemingly small pieces of debris can pose to marine wildlife.

Anyone who encounters a marine mammal that appears sick, injured, or in distress should call Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Observe, Record, Report/Marine Mammal Incident Hotline at 1-800-465-4336 or VAMMR’s Marine Mammal Rescue Hotline at 604-258-SEAL (7325).