Hello TPERP VIP’s,

There’s a sea lion pup on the cliffs of the tidepools today 2/26.  It looks a little thin, but may still be okay.  We’ll see if it’s there tomorrow, or if it departs on its own.

You’ll remember there was a record event of young sea lion strandings last year due to a shortage of smaller sized fish.  SeaWorld tells us the season is going okay so far – no indication of major problems like last year.  That’s good news.

Generally – we let nature take its course – however – our policies with  marine mammals are a bit different due to the Marine Mammal Protection Act – which allows us greater latitude in protecting them.  At the very least – we need to keep people away from them, 50 to 100 feet, or far enough away, so that we don’t alter the animal’s behavior.

This may be a good time for a refresher reading of the marine mammal section of your reference manual.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Great work!

Bonnie