Federal environmental authorities, working alongside marine rescue groups and local agencies, freed and treated five California sea lions found tangled in fishing gear over a three-day operation in Los Cabos and La Paz.
BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR — Wildlife officials carried out a coordinated rescue effort from Feb. 6 to Feb. 8 after receiving multiple citizen reports of sea lions ensnared in fishing lines and nets along the southern Baja coast.
The entanglements — a growing threat to marine mammals in the region — can cause deep lacerations, restrict movement, lead to dehydration and infection, and, in severe cases, prove fatal.
On Feb. 6, responders intervened at the Cabo San Lucas Flora and Fauna Protection Area, where a sea lion suffering from net-related injuries was disentangled and later transported to La Paz for specialized veterinary care due to its guarded condition.
The following day, two female sea lions were freed from fishing lines at a rookery within the Espíritu Santo Archipelago Natural Protected Area near La Paz.
On Feb. 8, rescue teams in Cabo San Lucas recovered a juvenile female sea lion showing signs of dehydration. She was also transferred to La Paz for treatment and monitoring.
The operation was led by Mexico’s Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) in coordination with the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas, Mexico’s Navy, state marine resource officials and several nonprofit marine wildlife rescue organizations. Local emergency responders and citizen watchdog groups also assisted in the effort.
Officials said they will continue monitoring the two sea lions receiving medical treatment and are documenting each incident to strengthen prevention strategies aimed at reducing wildlife entanglements along Baja California Sur’s coastline.
Authorities emphasized that prompt public reporting remains critical to protecting marine life in one of Mexico’s most biologically rich coastal ecosystems.
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