COURTENAY — A sea lion is being monitored by animal experts after it was spotted in Fanny Bay with a rope entangled around its neck.
Wildlife photographer Netonia Chatelaine said the sea lion appeared to be in pain from the rope cutting into its flesh.
“He is in very bad shape,” said Chatelaine, from Campbell River, who was involved in the rescue of other distressed sea lions last year.
“The first day I took pictures, I could see a bit of a rope. But now it’s right down inside where the esophagus is, in the solid area past the blubber.”
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Vancouver Aquarium have been notified.
There are plans to try to free the sea lion but it is uncertain when that will happen. Rescues often take place in remote locations and, because they require a specific team, equipment and weather conditions, they take time to co-ordinate.
Deana Lancaster, spokeswoman for the Vancouver Aquarium, said it estimates there are hundreds of sea lions entangled in marine debris and garbage.
“Regarding the sea lion in Fanny Bay, the B.C. Marine Mammal Response Network is monitoring him to see if there’s a pattern when he’s present,” Lancaster said. “We’re working with DFO to pull together our team, resources and necessary permits to try and help him as soon as possible.”
The best way the public can help is to report any sightings of the sea lion, Lancaster said.
Last year, Vancouver Aquarium’s Marine Mammal Rescue and DFO joined forces to conduct two successful rescues of ensnared and injured sea lions near Fanny Bay. It was led by the aquarium’s head veterinarian, Dr. Martin Haulena, one of only a few vets in the world, and the only one in Canada, experienced in immobilizing sea lions with an anesthetic drug delivered by a dart.
“Rescue efforts involving sea lions are extremely challenging and can be very dangerous,” Haulena said.
Marine mammal anesthesia is risky, he said. It took 15 years to develop an effective combination of drugs and protocols to safely dart sea lions to removal entangled gear, which is usually around their necks.
Lancaster urged the public to be careful when discarding garbage and to cut any loops in packaging.
People should not dispose of garbage in rivers, lakes and oceans, she said. Shoreline debris can often be confused by marine animals as food or they may become entangled.
