Endangered Friends : Rescuers at Marine Mammal Center Are Running Out of Money--and Time

A foursome of young elephant seals and sea lions that were released back to the ocean Tuesday may be among the last patients of Friends of the Sea Lion, a nonprofit rescue group that is nearly broke, its leaders said.

Increasing patient loads and mounting costs for medicine and food--including $2,000 for 3,000 pounds of fish a week--have drained the group’s emergency reserve, said Judi Jones, 49, director of operations at the Marine Mammal Center on Laguna Canyon Road, where the animals are rehabilitated.

The center has enough money to sustain the small staff and the more than 50 current patients for only two more months, she said.

The Marine Mammal Center became four patients lighter Tuesday as Gumby and Pokey, 6-month-old elephant seals, and BMW and C.W., 1-year-old sea lions, were released into the waves at Crescent Bay as hundreds of beach-goers cheered. The four had been nursed back to health by about 60 volunteers and two staff members.

BMW suffered from a severe case of pneumonia when he was discovered by the Coast Guard last month at Newport Beach. C.W. showed signs of an eye infection and a spinal injury when he was found in April, also at Newport. Respiratory infections and injuries to the eyes and spine (the latter caused by run-ins with boats) are the most common ailments, Jones said.

Gumby and Pokey suffered similar problems.

The organization has rescued and released thousands of sea lions, elephant seals and harbor seals since it was founded in 1971 by a veterinarian, a lifeguard and a science teacher.

But in the past four years, expenses for medicine and food have drained its reserve, which is regularly financed through donations from about 100 of its 3,500 members and a small gift shop. The organization receives no federal assistance and gets no corporate money like places such as Sea World do, Jones said.

“People aren’t aware that we need money and that we run only on donations,” said Jones, a registered nurse and the center’s only year-round, full-time staff member.

After emergency reserves run out, the regular staff will be eliminated and the healthier animals will be released sooner than they would be otherwise.

“We hope that it would never come to that,” Jones said. “We’re being optimistic. We can’t perceive that actually happening.”

Michele Hunter, 37, a volunteer since 1989, said that if Friends of the Sea Lion folds, “there would be a lot of sick animals on the beaches. It can be dangerous if people try to pick them up. They would be public health hazards.”

Hunter recalled one patient she was especially fond of. Little Kahuna, a 7-month-old, 25-pound sea lion, suffered mild seizures when he was rescued five months ago in San Juan Capistrano. When he was released last month, he weighed 73 pounds.

“You always have your favorites,” Hunter said. “Like Little Kahuna, who looked like he wasn’t going to make it and then miraculously did.”

Creature Comforts

* Organization: Friends of the Sea Lion

* Founded: 1971

* Founders: Veterinarian Rose Eckberg, lifeguard Jim Stauffer, science teacher John Cunningham

* Organization: Nonprofit, volunteer

* Mission: To rescue and rehabilitate sick or injured marine mammals

* Donations: 91% of 1993 budget from donations

* 1993 spending: 24% directly related to animals; 24% for salaries *; 52% operating expenses

* How to donate: Tax-deductible checks to: Friends of the Sea Lion, 20612 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651

*Two full time for six months; one part time, one full time for six months

Source: Friends of the Sea Lion