Floating around in the water is what sea otters tend to do, but a specific otter spotted floating near the Morro Bay State Park Marina over the past few days caught the attention of local rescuers.
“Very underweight, it was very lethargic, it was having a tough time remaining buoyant, meaning it really didn’t have the energy," said Giancarlo Rulli, The Marine Mammal Center Associate Director of Public Relations.
Rulli said rescuers tried to reach the otter three times, but it was inaccessible. When they tried again for a fourth time on Tuesday, they were just close enough to secure the otter in a net and place it into a carrier crate.
It is believed that this is an older male sea otter. It is being transported back to The Marine Mammal Center's main hospital in Sausalito.
“It’ll receive a full battery of tests. We’ll take blood samples, we’ll utilize things like radiographs and x-rays, ultrasound, we’ll take fecal samples, urine samples," Rulli said.
These tests will help determine if the otter has any underlying conditions that could be causing it distress.
“And then from there try to put it on a treatment regimen to give it a second chance and release it eventually back into the wild," Rulli said.
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He added that if you see a marine mammal that is acting out of the ordinary, call The Marine Mammal Center's hotline (415) 89-7325 and keep at least 150 feet away from the animal.
More information on The Marine Mammal Center can be found here.
