Rings The Seagull

I was out for a bike ride on the Silver Strand in Coronado, and found a seagull by a dog park. When I noticed that it was flopping around, we called SeaWorld and three people and a truck came out to rescue him. They got him in a net and put him in a blue box to transport him back to SeaWorld. I named him Rings because he was a Ring-Billed Gull.

They said that he was stuck in fishing wire and they took him back to the vet. Even though they did all they could to help him (including giving him antibiotics and untangling the fishing line from him), Rings died. However, they are still going to check out what happened to him, which could help save many other birds.

The SeaWorld Rescue Team took me on an awesome behind the scenes tour of their rescue center (which can also be set up as an oil spill rehab center). At the rescue center we saw 5 grebes, a ruddy duck (that I named Pothole), a great blue heron, a jaeger (aka arctic skua), and a baby fur seal (cutest thing in the universe if you ask me)! They are currently working to save all of these animals and release them back into the wild (if they can). 

A special thanks to Heather and the rest of the SeaWorld Rescue Team who gave me inspiration to write this blog post. All of the work and effort that they put in to try to save Rings, and all of the other animals that they have rescued and tried to rescue, is amazing. If you ever find an injured seabird, seal, turtle, sea lion, whale, dolphin, or porpoise (a dolphin is also a porpoise, but not all porpoises are dolphins), this is the number to call: 1-800-541-7325. And here is a link to their site: SeaWorld Rescue Team.