Three rehabilitated sea lion pups were returned to the sea in Redondo Beach Friday.
The sea lions, which were found injured and malnourished, were rescued and rehabilitated by the Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles. More than 100 people gathered on the beach near the Redondo pier to watch the pups scramble into the ocean.
The event was held to “highlight the important role California sea lions play in the state’s coastal ecosystem and underscore the need to recognize and protect California’s most iconic marine mammal,” according to a statement from event organizers.
Among those on hand was Sen. Laura Richardson, D-San Pedro, who announced proposed legislation, SB 1286, that would establish the California sea lion as the official state pinniped — a fin- or flipper-footed marine mammal.
“Pinnipeds play a very important role in terms of our ecosystem, what they eat, how they help clean the area so that we can have beautiful beaches like this,” Richardson told CBS LA.