Guadalupe fur seal rescued off Vancouver Island dies

A Guadalupe fur seal that was rescued from the southwest coast of Vancouver Island, more than 2,000 kilometres from its habitat, has died.

It was rescued from a beach in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve last Thursday.

The aquarium says the adult male seal was spotted lat Tuesday in Ucluelet by a research associate, who determined the animal was in distress and alerted Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Parks Canada and the aquarium’s Marine Mammal Rescue Centre.

The seal swam away but was spotted again yesterday on a beach within the reserve, where it was rescued.

Vancouver Aquarium vet Martin Haulena said the seal suffered internal bleeding, which is a common complication for marine mammals found stranded and starving.

Guadalupe fur seals are usually found off the coast of Baja California and are listed as threatened in the United States.

Haulena has said the warm currents of El Nino may be behind the recent strandings of such seals and another animal rarely seen in Canadian waters.

Agencies/Canadajournal