‘Starving’ fur seal was rescued in California in 2017. See her ‘thriving’ in the wild
A sea creature who was rescued as a baby is now “all grown up” and “thriving” as an adult back in the wild, California officials said.
The creature, a Guadalupe fur seal nicknamed Sallyfur, bore the same bright orange tag on her flipper as she did when she was admitted to The Marine Mammal Center in May 2017 “as a starving, exhausted 10-month old pup suffering from domoic acid poisoning,” the center said in a Jan. 13 post on Facebook. The species can suffer domoic acid poisoning from consuming contaminated fish.
Census researchers on Isla Guadalupe in Mexico spotted her sometime in 2024, the center said. It’s the first time a Guadalupe fur seal rehabilitated at the center has been resighted in the wild, officials said.
“Now here she was, years later, thriving in her ocean home,” officials said. “Each individual is essential to saving this threatened species, and seeing Sallyfur in the wild more than seven years after her release is a conservation success.”
The species’ breeding grounds are “almost entirely” on Guadalupe Island off the Pacific Coast of Mexico, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The seals live off the southern California and Pacific coast of Mexico and will travel far distances from their breeding grounds.
Guadalupe fur seals live about 20 years on average, the agency said. Females grow to about 110 pounds and males to about 400 pounds.
Photos show Sallyfur as a sick pup at the center vs. “all grown up” as a regal adult seal.
“Such a happy story,” someone said in the comments on the post.
Several others commented saying the seal was aging gracefully.
“Wow. Sallyfur you’re looking amazing!!” someone said. “What a triumph!!”
Others who were delighted by the seal’s success story chimed in too.
“This is such great news she not only survived for 8 years but also had suffered from DA so it shows they can survive,” another person said, adding that the news made them feel “very excited.”
“So glad she survived and grew into a happy and healthy adult,” another person said.
“And attitudes to go with,” someone said, noting the sassy-looking expression on the seal’s face.
“That’s enough to brighten anyone’s day,” someone said.
This story was originally published January 14, 2025 at 10:26 AM with the headline "‘Starving’ fur seal was rescued in California in 2017. See her ‘thriving’ in the wild."
