SeaWorld San Diego announced Tuesday that its animal rescue team has rescued nearly 900 marine animals for rehabilitation so far this year.

The theme park’s animal rescue team has aided 171 sea lions, 20 northern elephant seals, eight harbor seals, four Guadalupe fur seals, four dolphins, one pygmy sperm whale, one sea turtle and more than 600 marine birds during its 2019 rescue season.

In addition to animals found by the animal rescue team, animal care staff are caring for a weeks-old sea otter pup that was rescued in August in Alaska and transferred to San Diego last month. The park also welcomed three short-finned pilot whales last month after they were rescued and rehabilitated at SeaWorld Orlando.

Earlier this year, the theme park announced that it has rescued more than 20,000 animals since SeaWorld Entertainment was founded in 1964. Animal rescue teams at all three SeaWorld parks in San Diego, Orlando and San Antonio have rescued more than 35,000 marine and terrestrial animals since the company’s founding.

Residents can contact the SeaWorld Animal Rescue Team at 800-541-7325 if they see an animal that appears to be sick, injured or abandoned. The hotline is monitored 24/7, according to theme park officials.

— City News Service

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