This sea lion was seen for over an hour floating along the shore and holding one front and one back flipper in the air.
Observation: This sea lion was seen for over an hour floating along the shore and holding one front and one back flipper in the air. As long as we watched, it never dropped the flippers, although they moved a bit. We wondered if they were injured or paralyzed. There was no evidence that we could see of trauma or an injury and he (?) came quite close to us and did not seem concerned with our presence, or passing ATVs. We thought perhaps he was injured and we contacted friends at NOAA and the Kasitsna Bay Marine Lab for advice. Later in the evening we looked out again and he was gone. We wonder what would explain this behavior, if he was sick or injured. We also wonder if this behavior has implications for fish and other wildlife and for peoples health. Mike Brubaker, Center for Climate and Health
Note: Checkout our YouTube, LEO Network Channel video, Floating sea lion at McDonald Spit Alaska, taken on evening of May 29, 2014 by Mike Brubaker, LEO Network.
Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) Consult: With the help of Amy Holman of NOAA and Kris Holdreid with the Kasitsna Bay Marine Laboratory we were put in contact Alaska SeaLife Center Stranding Team. We were advised that because it was not a stranding event the best thing to do was observe and take video and pictures. On May 30, 2014 Halley Werner, Stranding Supervisor at the Center writes, "Photos and video of this animal suggest it is thermal-regulating (LEO says: by raising their flippers helps manage their internal body temperature). This is a normal behavior for sea lions, we (ASLC & NMFS) are hearing a lot of reports of thermo-regulating animals in South central and south east AK lately. Please continue to monitor this animal if you are in the area and see it. If it is behaving this way out of distress, ASLC and NMFS will reevaluate the situation as it changes." Please report any odd behavior of sea mammals to the Alaska SeaLife Center, available is a 24-hour hotline for the public to report stranded marine mammals or birds,and encourages people whohave found a stranded or sick marine animal to avoid touching or approaching the animal. Call first! 1-888-774-SEAL (7325).
National Weather Service Alaska Region Consult: Rick Thoman, Climate Science and Services Manager writes, "North Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies have dramatically evolved over the past six months, with warm anomalies now across the entire Gulf of Alaska and northeast Pacific in general, and below normal SSTs from Japan to east of the dateline. This is of course a solidly positive Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) anomaly configuration. The attached image (figure 1.) shows the temperature anomaly for mid May 2014, fully one to two degrees above normal." Source: NOAA NWS Alaska Region
Resources:
Alaska SeaLife Center Distressed Mammal Observation Guidelines – Call First! If you see a stranded or injured marine animal DO NOT PICK IT UP! Please call the Stranded Marine Animal Hotline: 1-888-774-SEAL (7325).
Marine Mammals Management Alaska Region – "The following is a guide on how to respond to the stranding of a dead or live marine mammal under the authority of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska (sea otter, walrus, and polar bear). If you have concerns about marine mammals not under the authority of the Fish and Wildlife Service (i.e. whales, seals and sea lions) please contact National Marine Fisheries Service." Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
