Starving sea lion found in San Diego, California, restaurant

Bernard Guillas, executive chef at The Marine Room restaurant in San Diego, posted pictures of the wayward animal on his Facebook page after finding her hanging out at a window-side table when he opened for the day.

Conditions in the Pacific Ocean, with dwindling food supplies and unusually high tides, have led to 40 rescues of sea lions by SeaWorld since the first of the year, along with six harbor seals and one Guadalupe fur seal.

“I think when nobody was watching, the little guy came in”, Guillas told KPBS News.

Employees at an upscale restaurant in San Diego says they have found a sea lion pup asleep in a dining booth Thursday morning.

The pup got a nice meal right away and will be protected until its weight rebounds. The mammal was then taken to SeaWorld for care, said David Koontz, a spokesman for the tourist center.

The 8-month-old female California sea lion was malnourished and dehydrated, SeaWorld officials said. “And that goal isn’t just for this small pup but all the pups that we’ve rescued”, said Jody Westberg with Sea World.

The organization said said they were treating the animal, whom they named Marina, and hoped to set her free soon.

Experts say sea lions have been looking for higher ground due to the severe weather effects of El Nino.