Consag Rock · San Jorge Island · Vaquita Refuge · Active Operation
Sea Lions
Entangled
Illegal and discarded gillnets entangle sea lions. Sea Shepherd and regional partners free them.
The Gillnet Crisis
Nets set illegally for totoaba and other fish species entangle sea lions as indiscriminate bycatch. One net can kill dozens of animals across species.
Enforcement Is Ecosystem Protection
The Upper Gulf of California supports significant colonies of California sea lions whose survival is directly tied to the health of the marine ecosystem. Gillnets deployed for totoaba do not only threaten the vaquita — they entangle and drown sea lions, sharks, rays, and other non-target species.
Even when not immediately fatal, abandoned or drifting nets continue to trap marine life indefinitely. Sea lion mortality linked to illegal fishing gear is both a conservation crisis and an indicator of broader ecosystem stress.
Entanglement injuries, drowning, and prey depletion all reflect the same underlying pressures driving vaquita decline. When illegal gear is removed, multiple species benefit.
Sea Shepherd's permanent vessel presence in the vaquita refuge provides a platform for sea lion monitoring and response. Operations are conducted in partnership with regional organizations and Mexican authorities, expanding the scope of impact beyond a single-species mandate.
What Threatens Them
Latest from the Operation October 2025: 13 sea lions freed in a single operationSeahorse crew located entangled sea lions at Consag Rock during routine patrol. All 13 animals were successfully disentangled and released.
See all updates ↓Nets set illegally for totoaba swim bladders — worth more by weight than cocaine — entangle and drown sea lions as indiscriminate bycatch. One net can kill dozens of animals across species.
Abandoned and drifting nets continue to trap marine life long after they're lost or discarded. Ghost gear is a permanent killing machine until physically removed from the water.
Entanglement injuries, drowning, and prey depletion are compounding pressures on sea lion colonies already impacted by warming waters and declining fish stocks.
Sea lion mortality is an indicator species signal. The same illegal fishing pressure driving vaquita toward extinction is degrading the entire Upper Gulf food web.
What Our Crews Do
The M/Y Seahorse maintains continuous presence in the vaquita refuge, providing a platform for sea lion monitoring and rapid response.
Monthly monitoring of sea lion colonies across the Upper Gulf, tracking population health, entanglement patterns, and injury rates.
Direct rescue operations to free entangled sea lions, conducted in partnership with NGOs and Mexican authorities.
Systematic documentation of mortality and injury drivers to build the evidence base for enforcement and policy action.
Locating and removing illegal gillnets and ghost gear — reducing mortality risk across the entire marine community, not just one species.
Collaboration with Mexican authorities and conservation organizations, expanding the scope of protection beyond a single-species mandate.
From the Frontlines
