At Sea Lion Caves they’re continuing to keep an eye on a female sea lion that is tangled in what appears to be a sport salmon fishing rig. General Manager Boomer Wright said the sea lion was perched on a rock island in the cave Sunday, May 10, with a hook in her mouth and fishing line wrapped around a flipper. She gave birth to a pup on Mother’s Day, but Wright said sometime Monday the pup disappeared. He fears that it died. Wright has spoken with biologists at Newport’s Hatfield Marine Science Center and they say there is nothing that can be done at this time. The sea lion is in a spot that is impossible to get to safely. Wright also said the sea lion appears to be thinner than what you would expect, indicating that she’s not been able to feed. He said hopefully the hook will wear a hole large enough so that it will fall out and she’ll be able to disentangle herself. Until then, they’ll continue to monitor the situation.
