A sea lion appeared on December 25 on the coastline of Vicente López, considered an urban area far from its natural habitat.
The disoriented animal moved along the beaches while residents alerted authorities about its presence.
The sighting occurred early in the morning at the intersection of Urquiza and the river.
Images captured by residents showed the mammal resting on the sand and returning to the water repeatedly.
The rescue operation of the sea lion found on the coastline
After the sighting, the Argentine Naval Prefecture and Civil Defense intervened immediately.
According to TN, they awaited the arrival of a specialized team to carry out the rescue of the specimen.
“Since 8 in the morning, I had already seen it. It was resting on the beach, going back into the river, and then reappearing. At this moment, it went back into the water,” said Olga, one of the neighbors who recorded images of the marine animal.
Meanwhile, municipal sources confirmed to Infobae that the Temaikén Foundation worked on the coastline to recover the specimen.
“Since the sea lion went back into the water, they are waiting for it to approach the shore,” reported the local government.
Recommendations for sea lion sightings on the coastline
Specialists warned about the importance of not approaching these pinniped mammals, as they are called in the scientific field.
Nor should one attempt to return them to the water without professional assistance.
Although the animal’s appearance may seem docile, it could be in a state of shock, and there is a possibility it might react by biting or hitting with its flippers.
Therefore, this precaution is essential to avoid accidents for both humans and the sea lion on the coastline.
The habitual presence of marine fauna in the Río de la Plata
The appearance of marine mammals on the Buenos Aires coast is not unusual. On various occasions, sightings of different species can be recorded in the area:
- South American sea lions and fur seals
- Whales
- Franciscana dolphins
- Bottlenose dolphins
The fur seal often comes from breeding colonies located on the Uruguayan coastline, particularly from the Isla de Lobos.
Occasionally, these specimens appear isolated in Argentine waters.
Other recent cases in the region
As a recent precedent, this year there were two strandings of whales in the fresh waters of the Río de la Plata.
At the time, the Cethus Foundation reported that the bodies of these cetaceans were found off the coast of Vicente López and later near Tierra Santa, on the Buenos Aires coast.
In both cases, the Naval Prefecture towed the bodies to deeper waters for final disposal.
These findings highlight the ancestral link between aquatic mammals and humans in the Río de la Plata region.
The situation of the sea lion on the coastline of Vicente López is part of a series of recent encounters with marine fauna in urban Buenos Aires areas.
