Harbor seal rescued from LA power station inlet

Published: April 6, 2006 | 3938th good news item since 2003

A marine mammal expert used bait fish and a special trap to rescue a harbor seal that had been trapped for two weeks at an oceanside power station, officials said.

The 100-pound animal was taken to a marine mammal care center after its rescue Wednesday from the Scattergood Generating Station near Los Angeles International Airport. It was expected to survive.

The seal swam or was sucked into the station’s ocean-water intake pipe, which is located about a quarter-mile offshore and draws in water to cool the plant’s steam turbines. Plant workers noticed the seal two weeks ago but were unable to rescue it from an inlet bay, where it couldn’t find a place to rest.

On Tuesday, they contacted Peter Wallerstein of the Whale Rescue Team, who handles local marine mammal beachings. He said he set a trap and found the seal safe inside on Wednesday.

Wallerstein said power plant workers should have alerted him earlier to the seal’s plight.

Scattergood General Manager John Vallow said he instituted a new policy to make sure that happens in the future.

The city’s Department of Water and Power also will consider installing “seal bars” on the intake pipes to prevent animals from entering, Vallow said.

Published in Animals
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