Sea lion gave birth on Santa Barbara Harbor boat launch ramp. What’s next for mom and baby?
Wildlife crews on Friday successfully relocated the California sea lion that gave birth on the Santa Barbara Harbor boat-launch ramp earlier that week.
Mom and baby are OK.
The marine mammal and her pup have been moved to a beach in an undisclosed location.
“We appreciate the community’s support during the first few days of this pup’s life,” the Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institution said in a statement.
The sea lion gave birth early June 7, around midnight.
Sea lions in the Santa Barbara area typically give birth in rookeries on the Channel Islands.
The Marine and Wildlife Institution said the launch ramp is “an awkward location, but it is connected to their natural environment.”
In the days after the delivery, the mother was protective of the pup, but the two spent the week bonding, and the pup nursed.
Volunteers watched over the mother pup from sunrise through sunset and provided education for people watching.
The institution also said in a news release that the first few days of life were critical for the mother and pup to bond, and for the baby to get colostrum, which is essential for a newborn’s health, growth and vitality.
The mother was very protective of her pup, and the pair had a strong bond. The pup continued to nurse and grow in strength and agility each day.
The institution determined it was the appropriate time to move the mother and her pup from the active area of the harbor and launch ramp to a secluded beach location to give them the best chance at continued bonding, nursing and development.
The Channel Islands National Park and Marine Sanctuary provides habitat for significant breeding populations of four species of pinnipeds — California sea lions, northern fur seals, harbor seals and northern elephant seals, according to a news release.
Pups learn by mimicking adult behavior. They also develop vocal, social, swimming and hunting skills by interacting with other pups in the rookery.
This pup was not born in a rookery, so it will be up to its mother to teach it all of these skills, according to a news release.