The Sitka sea lion has traveled about 337 nautical miles northwest to Kayak Island, marked above in red, according to the NOAA Stranding team in Juneau. (Photo courtesy of NOAA Stranding team)
Marine mammal experts say the Sitka sea lion that came ashore about a month ago is alive and well.
After biologists sedated the animal and returned it to sea, scientists with NOAA and the Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network attached a satellite tag on the sea lion’s front right flipper to keep track of it.
Volunteers with both agencies issued a joint statement to KCAW saying the the sea lion seems to be exhibiting normal behavior. Experts had not received new information from the tag for several days and were beginning to worry. But that was because the sea lion was at sea, traveling northwest from Sitka to Kayak Island near Cordova. That’s a total travel distance of 337 nautical miles.
