Sea Lion Missing Lower Jaw Feeds Scientists’ Curiosity

She came ashore suffering from seizures and minus her lower jaw. A week later, she developed a severe case of pneumonia.

Her future seemed as bleak as a wind-swept sea on a cold, winter day but now, more than three months later, it seems as bright as the summer sun.

After being rescued from a Ventura beach in early August, and nursed back to health at the Marine Mammal Care Center at Ft. MacArthur in San Pedro, the beleaguered California sea lion has been bade a fond farewell and is seemingly living high on the hog at the Coronado Islands off Baja California.

Hers is an interesting case. The seizures were symptoms of a potentially fatal condition called domoic acid toxicity, caused by the ingestion of fish affected by a particular alga. The subsequent pneumonia was possibly the result of the sea lion’s inhaling saltwater during a seizure.

She spent her first few days at the facility sedated, given fluids under the skin. She was then treated with antibiotics and at one point was placed in a tent with a medicated vaporizer “to get the mucous out of her lungs so she could breathe,” said Jackie Jaakola, director of the care facility, which treats about 100 sea lions a year.

All this was business as usual for Jaakola--one of only two full-time employees at the nonprofit facility--and a small cadre of overworked volunteers.

But what was unusual about patient 00-75, and what attracted the interest of scientists beyond the care center, was that she had lost her lower jaw, probably to injury, at some point during her life and was still able to feed and fend for herself in an often hostile environment.

So, in an effort involving the New England Aquarium, the educational Web site WhaleNet and the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Center for Marine Studies, 00-75 was given a more personal name, Malia, meaning “calm waters” in Hawaiian.

She was then fitted with a satellite tracking device and set free.

Scientists and schoolchildren are monitoring her movements in an attempt, according to care center spokesman Hugh Ryono, “to discover the niche that this animal has carved out for herself and [to learn more about] her special feeding needs and abilities.”

Satellite tracking is not done on a large scale with marine creatures, mostly because the tags cost $5,000 or more and don’t always stay on.

So, Malia is unique in more ways than one, as one of only a few pinnipeds to have been put under this kind of microscope. Her tag could last as long as six months.

After her release Nov. 11, off White’s Point in San Pedro, she remained within five miles of the Palos Verdes Peninsula for about a week, hauling out on occasion and not venturing far from shore.

When she decided it was time to go, she traveled south at a fair clip and on Nov. 21, readings showed she was about 100 miles away, beyond San Diego. The previous day she had visited the Coronado Islands, just south of the border. The latest readings indicate that she has found a temporary home at the Coronados, which are about 10 miles offshore and a popular spot for pinnipeds.

With far more bark than bite, it’s clear by her movements, close to the coast and not into extremely deep water, that Malia is aware of her handicap and careful to avoid encounters with sharks and other potential enemies.

Asked if she were surprised at how well Malia has fared without chompers, Jaakola responded, “Nothing with these wild animals ever surprises me. It’s survival of the fittest out there and the successful ones are the ones that find a way to compensate.”

Even if that means getting a helping hand from humans.

Malia’s progress can be tracked at https://whale.wheelock.edu.

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Malia’s instincts told her to head south, which is a good thing because up north, off Monterey, killer whales have been terrorizing the local pinniped population.

Alisa Schulman-Janiger, a researcher for the American Cetacean Society, was aboard the Sea Wolf a week after Malia’s release and witnessed a nature show as spectacular as any on television. The vessel first encountered more than 1,000 common dolphins, many of them with calves. The passengers then came upon about 40 humpback whales, feeding not on krill but on anchovies and sardines.

Three of them swam to the boat, casting plumes of whale breath across the deck. It takes a serious whale watcher to appreciate this phenomenon, since whale breath is anything but fresh.

Skipper Richard Ternullo then guided the vessel to an area where about 80 sea lions had corralled a large school of bait fish and were having the times of their lives--most of them, anyway.

Schulman-Janiger noticed that one of the sea lions was more red than brown. Then came a report from a nearby vessel indicating the presence of killer whales.

The Sea Wolf arrived in time to see four of them--an adult male, two females and a juvenile--stalking another large group of sea lions that had corralled another school of bait fish.

The passengers watched in awe as the killer whales slowly approached the sea lions, finally being detected, at which point “about 50 of them flew off porpoising away in one direction toward shore, and another group another way,” Schulman-Janiger said.

The killer whales chased one group, trying to separate an individual sea lion from the pack. Once that was accomplished, one of the killer whales began breeching, trying to land on the fleeing mammal to stun it.

“All we could see was this splashing and thrashing and tail-slapping,” Schulman-Janiger said. “Finally, one of the killer whales came up with the sea lion in its mouth.”

They left behind a slick of oil and blood, and dozens of scavenging sea birds diving in for bits and piece.

“And then these stupid sea lions came back to the same fish boil and the killer whales did the same thing,” Schulman-Janiger said.

Monterey Bay Whale Watch can be reached at (831) 375-4658. For information regarding American Cetacean Society-sponsored trips in and beyond the Southland, call (562) 438-8960.

NEWS AND NOTES

* Impressive lineup: Twenty of the world’s top big-wave surfers will be on hand Dec. 9 for the opening ceremony of Quiksilver’s annual “Men Who Ride Mountains” event at Maverick’s off Half Moon Bay. The ceremony will involve an 11 a.m. paddle-out at Pillar Point, open to spectators and contestants. But the actual contest probably won’t be held until after the completion of the Triple Crown of Surfing on Oahu’s North Shore. The Triple Crown’s grand finale, the Pipeline Masters, will end on or before Dec. 21. The Maverick’s contest window runs through March 31.

* Bombs away: Maverick’s regulars will have had plenty of practice by the time the contest is a go. This alert came Thursday morning from Frank Quirarte, publisher of the Maverick’s Web site: “We just finished with eight days of big waves. The [tow-in] crews have been on it in the mornings and the paddlers have been taking over in the afternoon.

“Thanksgiving saw the first sign of solid 20-foot sets, with Friday coming through in the afternoon with solid 25-foot sets. Looks like we have more waves on the way.”

The dramatic photos and footage on the site, https://www.mavsurfer.com, are worth a look even for non-surfers.

* Magic number: California’s bear-hunting season has come to an early end, the quota of 1,500 animals having been reached. In announcing this, the Department of Fish and Game said: “This will not have a negative impact on the state’s bear population, which is estimated at 18,000 to 23,000.” Had the quota not been filled, the season would have closed Dec. 31.

* Tough tuna: Just when it seemed the albacore season was winding down off Morro Bay, a new school of much larger and far more powerful fish appeared in an area only 13 miles offshore, eliminating the need for overnight travel.

“These fish are much fatter and livelier, and they’re fighting all the way into the boat,” said Kevin Frankhauser, spokesman for Virg’s Landing.

The tuna are averaging 40-plus pounds and for every fish landed, about four are breaking free. Virg’s can be reached at (800) 762-5263.

WINDING UP

Philip Friedman of 976-TUNA is taking a unique approach to boost participation in his annual youth fishing program, which last year treated 1,000 underprivileged children, mostly from the inner-city, to deep-sea fishing trips.

He’s hosting a “Monday Night Football” party at his Torrance home Monday, open to anyone bringing unwanted but usable fishing gear or tackle.

“For over 15 years, Phil Friedman has hosted ‘Monday Night Football’ bashes at his house,” he said via news release. “Skippers, writers, fishing-tackle reps, as well as a plethora of other derelicts have attended; now it’s your turn.”

Those interested can RSVP at (310) 328-5850 or via e-mail at p976tuna@aol.com.