1 of 4 Rescued Sea Lions Dies; Cause Unknown

Sherlock, one of the four sea lion pups rescued off Newport Beach last week, has died of unknown causes but the other three are recovering and doing well, rescuers reported Saturday.

Judi Jones, director of the Friends of the Sea Lion Marine Mammal Center, said she discovered the dead pup when she arrived at work Friday morning. The cause of death was not immediately known, but Jones said it could have been due to stomach ulcers.

Jones said the three surviving pups “are doing great.”

The four sea lions were discovered Wednesday at “the Wedge,” a point at the tip of the Balboa Peninsula. Jones said the pups had suffered from pneumonia and malnutrition, adding that the recent rains have forced fish the pups normally feed on deeper into the ocean than the pups could reach, starving them.

Rescuers began feeding them a formula consisting of fish, glucose and electrolytes and quickly named them Ronnie, Squidly, Sherlock and Holmes.

“We give them formula for about four days (because) they’re very dehydrated when they came in,” Jones said, adding that sea lions cannot use sea water for hydration. “Some of the hydration for their bodies comes through oxidizing their fat. When the animals are underweight they become dehydrated.”

Meanwhile, three other sea lion pups rescued recently have died within the past week and Jones said their stomachs are filled with multiple ulcers.

“We’ve discovered this year that a lot of seals and sea lions are developing ulcers . . . they’re coming in with them or getting them in captivity,” Jones said.

Marine center officials contacted Sea World veterinarians, who said they were using the drug Tagamet, an antacid, in dealing with ulcer problems in their sea lions.

A pharmaceutical company delivered 2,400 Tagamet tablets to the marine center free of charge Friday to help the sea lions recover.