By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The officers of the Environmental Unit of the Golfito* Coastguard station freed the male sea lion that was rescued on Sunday at a rocky area of Grande Beach in Santa Cruz, Guanacaste.
According to the park rangers, the young animal may have reached the beach from the Galapagos Islands.
Experts transferred him to the Marine Park of the Pacific in Puntarenas where biologists from the National University gave him medical attention.
"The sea lion was tired, with small wounds on his face, hungry, but in good health," said the park rangers in their report.
After a few days of care, he was transferred to a Coast Guard National Service station in Golfito. There, the officers took care of him until they took him to a patrol boat and released him at Punta Matapalo beach.
"He was serene, showing signs of happiness, this beautiful animal, even in his youthful stage, that is, mischievous, vigorous, inexperienced and for that reason, he had gone astray," said the coastguard in the report.
According to the experts, Matapalo, is a privileged area because the marine currents are like "wide roads", to direct the sea lion back to its home in Galapagos.
On Monday, May 21, as A.M. Costa Rica reported, the park rangers of the Las
Baulas National Marine Park* rescued
a baby sea lion on the coast of the park.
Park rangers report that the animal
probably was been dragged towards the
rocks by the strong waves, "given the
health conditions the animal had, we
captured and coordinated with the
authorities of the Marine Park for its
transfer and medical attention."
It appears that the baby lion had arrived
on the beach alone, because no signs of
other adult sea lions were seen in the
area.
The sea lion’s range extends from the
subarctic to tropical waters of the global
ocean in both the Northern and Southern
Hemispheres, with the notable exception of
the northern Atlantic Ocean.
In April, as A.M. Costa Rica reported, a
sea lion was seen in Malpaís Beach* in
Puntarenas. A group of tourists shared a
video on social networks showing the
moment when the animal left the sea to
stay on the rocks.
According to specialists, sea lions are
always near the coast and prefer colder
waters over tropical waters, which is why
it is not common to see one in Costa Rican
seas.
The coastguards reports that a few sea
lions arriving in Costa Rica have been
recorded in Golfito* and Corcovado National Park*,
Jaco Beach* and now
Las Baulas.
According World Wildlife Fund, six species
of sea lions are classified around the
world: California, Steller, Australia,
Galapagos, New Zealand, and South America.
They are vulnerable to the effects of
climate change on ocean currents, which
impact the abundance of their prey fish.
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Have you ever seen a sea lion in Costa Rica? We would like
to know your thoughts on this story.
Send your comments to: news@amcostarica.com
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