Sea Lions sighted at Old Road Bay

By Stanford Conway
Editor-in-Chief-SKNVibes.com

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – TWO of the missing Sea Lions were sighted earlier today (Nov. 4) in the Caribbean Sea off the shores of Old Road Bay in St. Kitts, but only one was seen in that vicinity when employees of Marine World Ltd., were contacted.

Information reaching SKNVibes states that sometime before midday, fishermen in the Old Road Bay area saw the two Sea Lions and immediately informed the employees of Marine World Ltd. 

However, on arrival, the employees had only seen one and failed in their attempts to capture it.

SKNVibes was on spot to witness the failed attempts even though the Sea Lion showed signs of recognising one of its trainers and also the Manager of Marine World Ltd., Peter Noah.

This media house learnt that the employees, with assistance from fishermen in the area, tried to trap the marine mammal but it evaded them by constantly swimming around, jumping over or diving under the nets.

At one stage, Noah led the employees in a small dinghy very close to the Sea Lion and fed him in an attempt to lure him onto the beach. The Sea Lion however ate all they fed him and followed a short distance behind the dinghy, but did not take the bait and swam back into the deep as they neared the shore.

Many onlookers suggested the use of tranquilisers to capture the marine mammal but Noah informed that it was unsafe, because the Sea Lion would dive deeply which would eventually lead to its death by drowning.

He also advised against the use of nets in the water, noting that the Sea Lion would be entangled and this could cause serious damage to him, and even death.

Asked why the Sea Lion refused to continue following the dinghy, Noah said despite recognising him and the trainer, the animal had eaten approximately 18 pounds of food and could no longer be lured by that bait to shallow waters.

Noah said the Sea Lions were seen some 12 days ago cavorting off St. Maarten and only recently they were again seen in St. Thomas. He explained that they have been hard to track because they could swim up to 80 kilometres (50 miles) a day.

The Manager is however hopeful of capturing the Sea Lion at Old Road Bay because, as he explained, “he was fed here and will return for more food when he is hungry”.

His hopes were strengthened when a fisherman told him that he knew where the Sea Lion sleeps and promised to take the Manager tonight to that part of the beach where he had seen the animal’s tracks.
Additionally, employees of Marine World Ltd., will be keeping vigil with the hope of observing when the animal will leave the water to come ashore. 

Noah is appealing to the general public that if the animals are seen, they should not feed or try to capture them but to contact him on telephone number (869) 762-9523, or any employee of Marine World Ltd.

Following the passage of Hurricane Omar in the wee hours of Thursday morning, October 16, four South American Sea Lions and five Fur Seals (including a 10-month-old pup) had escaped from the Friars Bay aquarium in the Southeast Peninsula of St. Kitts, where Marine World Ltd., is located.   ~~Adz:Right~~

Marine World Ltd., is owned by Kittitian businessman Arthur Sharpe, who brought the marine mammals to St. Kitts by air from Uruguay on Tuesday, April 8, 2008.

He told this media house that they were brought to the Federation for educational purposes, especially for school children, on the importance of their preservation and care as well as how they could be used in saving human lives.