Rescued sea lions spent weeks recovering in California. See them return home together

A pair of rescued sea lions were finally able to be returned home, and their release was “sooo many kinds of awesome.”

On Jan. 31, two rescued female sea lions were returned back to the ocean, according to a Feb. 3 Instagram post by SeaWorld San Diego.

This marks the first return of 2025 for SeaWorld’s Rescue team, SeaWorld said.

The pair was reintroduced to the waters at Camp Pendleton after they were rescued separately in December.

One was being treated for pneumonia after it was found tremoring at Solana Beach, SeaWorld said.

The other sea lion, a 6-month-old pup, was rescued after it was seen in Point Loma, isolated, underweight and lethargic, rescuers said.

SeaWorld said rescuers gave the pup formula and fluids, causing it to double in weight by the time it was returned home.

The video shows the two sea lions rushing into the water, sticking together, before being seen swimming in the ocean.

Sea lions are generally blonde to tan in color, and the males tend to be larger than the females, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

They are very social creatures on land and water, and they eat squid, anchovies and sardines, the NOAA said.

After receiving medical care, the two animals were able to be returned back to their natural habitat, SeaWorld said.

“Returning these two animals has been super rewarding and getting a chance to see them run back into the ocean, they stuck together, we know they are going to be successful out there and that’s the number one goal,” a rescuer said in the video.

This story was originally published February 11, 2025 at 2:04 PM with the headline "Rescued sea lions spent weeks recovering in California. See them return home together."