Oakley Police Rescue Sea Lion and Return it to the Delta

The Oakley Police Department rescued a sea lion on March 17 after it was in danger of being struck by a vehicle.

According to police, on March 17, 2024 at 9:27 PM Oakley Police Officers C. Taylor and M. Jackson were dispatched to the Valero Station at the corner of E. Cypress Road and Knightsen Avenue for a young and wayward sea lion that was in the road and in danger of being hit by a car.

Oakley Police officers worked with other citizens in corralling the sea lion and SEALing it into a specific area. Police officers tried staying two steps ahead of the thoroughbred pinniped, but still found it difficult to coax it into the back of a patrol vehicle.

The officers found that if one of them sat in the back of the vehicle and kept repeating “free bass” it would gain the attention of the sea lion and eventually it hopped right up and into the vehicle.

Oakley Police officers called the Marine Mammal Center but nobody was available to come pick our passenger up. With the exception of being a little lost the sea lion seemed fine, uninjured and able bodied. The sea lion was given a chauffeured ride to a local marina and set free back into the Delta waters

Photos provided by Oakley Police

Note:

The Marine Mammal Center advances global ocean conservation through rescue and rehabilitation, scientific research, and education. Since 1975, we’ve rescued more than 24,000 marine mammals along 600 miles of California coastline and the Big Island of Hawaii. With a volunteer force numbering more than 1,300 and the support of a concerned public, the Center is able to respond to marine mammals in distress. Sick and injured animals are treated and rehabilitated at our state-of-the-art veterinary facilities where we care for our patients until they can be released back to their ocean home.

Previous Calls:

• March 3-9: Oakley Police Calls
• Oakley Police: Do You Know Where Your Kids Are?
• Feb 25 – March 2: Oakley Police Calls