This Endangered Sea Lion Pup Was Found Sheltering Inside a Seafood Plant-and the Next Day He Was Spotted Snuggled Up With Other Sea Lions
Westley the sea lion might just be a pup, but he has already had an immense journey. What started in a precarious situation in late December has now turned into a happy ending as Westley has found his new family shortly after being released back into the water.
Back in late December, Westley was discovered at the Westward Seafoods plant in Unalaska, Alaska, where he was sheltering from the elements. It was then that the Westward staff alerted the proper authorities to come together to provide the proper aid to the pup. Once he was stabilized and in good shape, the sea lion was transported to California, where he was admitted into care, and his recovery journey began.
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Westley Returns to the Water
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At only six months old, Westley was left vulnerable, as sea lions typically need at least another six months to nurse and learn to dive and feed themselves. When he was found, not only was Westley still too young to be on his own, but he was very thin.
Since sea lions are social animals, it was important for Westley to learn to feed himself and socialize with other sea lions before returning to the wild. In Sausalito, Calif., Westley received expert care through nutritious diets and engaging enrichment activities to help build his strength and confidence.
This aid not only helped him socialize with other marine mammal patients, but also allowed Westley to triple his weight from 100 pounds to 300 pounds.
Before he was sent back to Alaska, veterinary experts at the Marine Mammal Center performed final health checks and placed two satellite-tracking tags on him to monitor his progress in the ocean.
Once arrived in Anchorage, Alaska, Westley was transported 130 miles south to Seward, home of the Alaska SeaLife Center. There, the sea lion was carefully transferred from the large box truck to a landing craft vessel in the harbor. There, he was escorted to a nearby Stellar sea lion haul-out site.
"This haul-out site was chosen for the release because it's a known Steller sea lion haul-out site with close proximity to Seward. This gives us our best chance to see him again and check on how he is doing," said Alaska SeaLife Center scientist Dr. John Maniscalco
After carefully opening the transport unit doors, Westley dove right into the water, not before swimming past the boat for a final time, before heading out to the haul-out area with other Stellar sea lions. After observing him for a time, experts noted that he was already interacting with other sea lions in the water. The next day, Westley was perfectly integrated into the group, even seen cozying up to others.
What started as a tragic story has turned into one of resilience, patience, and teamwork. Organizations like the Marine Mammal Center continue to do the work to help these injured and vulnerable animals get back on track.
Related: Lost Baby Sea Lion Wanders City Streets, and People Can't Believe What They're Seeing
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This story was originally published June 27, 2026 at 11:20 AM.