A sea lion believed to have made its way up the Petaluma River was rescued from a shopping center parking lot Saturday and taken to a marine hospital for evaluation.
A sea lion — likely the same one that had been turning heads around downtown Petaluma for weeks — ended up in an unusual place Saturday morning: sunbathing in a parking lot at the Petaluma Outlets mall.
The animal, later nicknamed “Mallory” by rescuers — a change from its previous nickname of “Stevie” — was spotted in the south lot of Petaluma Village Premium Outlets. Mall security called North Bay Animal Services at around 7:30 a.m., which responded with a trailer and rescue gear to relocate the sea lion.
“She must have made her way up when the tide was high and she kind of got out of sorts,” said Mark Scott, executive director of North Bay Animal Services. The animal was “definitely far enough away from the river that she needed some assistance,” he added.
Scott said the river’s offshoot near the mall is narrow and shallow, making it an unlikely route for such a large marine animal.
By about 10:30 a.m., the female sea lion had arrived at the Marine Mammal Center hospital in Sausalito, where she remains under observation.
Veterinarians believe Mallory is 3 to 5 years old, “very energetic and rambunctious,” and currently eating well, center spokesperson Giancarlo Rulli said. The team is awaiting test results — which could take days or weeks — to determine whether the animal is healthy enough for release, likely at Point Reyes National Seashore.
One concern is domoic acid poisoning, a potentially fatal illness caused by toxic algae. Rulli said a resident reported seeing the sea lion seizing — a possible sign of the condition.
Since mid-June, Petaluma residents have been chronicling the sightings of a sea lion lounging around the Turning Basin. Dubbed “Stevie (The Wonder) Sea Lion” by locals, the animal had drawn regular attention — and a rescue attempt June 25 that was called off after it was deemed healthy enough to remain undisturbed.
Rulli said it’s likely Mallory and Stevie are the same animal, based on appearance and behavior, though without a tracking tag there’s no way to be certain. Some social media sleuths have pointed out what they believe are differences, such as scarring, which would indicate these are two separate animals.
Few sea lions venture this far up the Petaluma River, especially compared to larger waterways like the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. In 14 years of animal control work, Scott said his team has only rescued two larger marine mammals: Mallory and a juvenile elephant seal named Chumley in 2017.
Regardless of whether it was one sea lion or two, Scott said the focus should be on ensuring the animals are safe and left undisturbed. He urged residents to give them space, avoid interference and alert animal services if a marine mammal appears distressed.
You can reach Staff Writer Madison Smalstig at madison.smalstig@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @madi.smals.