Young Sea Lion Returned to NorCal Beach Following Shark Attack in San Francisco Bay

The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito has successfully rehabilitated a young sea lion that was attacked by a shark in the San Francisco Bay. The sea lion was returned to the Rodeo Beach in the Marin Headlands to hopefully live a long, healthy life.

The male sea lion, dubbed Jenya, was found in November with a severe wound to its shoulder at San Francisco’s Aquatic Park by Fisherman’s Wharf. After receiving Jenya at the Marine Mammal Center, veterinarians determined the wound to be a shark bite.

Following a 5-week rehabilitation stint in Sausalito, Jenya was able to gain 25 pounds and regain full motion in his wounded flipper. That’s when the vet determined he could return to the ocean.

“Jenya’s road to recovery was one of the most inspiring patient cases I’ve seen this year,” said Emily Trumbull, a veterinarian at The Marine Mammal Center.

The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito is the largest marine mammal hospital in the world and has cared for more than 440 seals and sea lions in 2020.