Gulf of California · Isla San Jorge · Consag Rock · Active Operation
Sea Lions
Entangled
Illegal and discarded gillnets entangle sea lions. Sea Shepherd and regional partners free them.
- Sea lions rescued on Isla San Jorge
- 81
- Freed in a single campaign, March 2026
- 13
- Colonies: Isla San Jorge and Consag Rock
- 2
Sea Shepherd / The Crisis
The Gillnet Crisis
Nets set illegally for totoaba and other fish entangle sea lions as bycatch. One net can kill dozens of animals across species.
The Gulf of California supports large colonies of California sea lions, and their survival is tied to the health of the whole ecosystem. The gillnets that threaten the vaquita also entangle and drown sea lions, sharks, rays and other animals.
Even when a net does not kill at once, it can cut deep into a growing animal. Removing illegal gear and freeing entangled sea lions protects more than one species, and every rescue is also evidence of how much illegal fishing is still going on.
Isla San JorgeHome to the second largest sea lion colony in the Gulf of California. Rescue campaigns there are coordinated by Profepa with local partners and the Mexican Navy.
Sea Shepherd / The Threat
What Threatens Them
- 01
Illegal gillnets
Nets set for totoaba swim bladders, worth more by weight than cocaine, and for other fish entangle and drown sea lions as bycatch.
- 02
Ghost gear
Lost and discarded nets keep trapping marine life until someone physically pulls them out of the water.
- 03
Colony stress
Entanglement, drowning and fewer fish add to the pressure on colonies already dealing with warming waters.
- 04
A warning for the whole Gulf
The same illegal fishing driving the vaquita toward extinction is wearing down the entire food web, and sea lions show it first.
Sea Shepherd / On the Water
What Our Crews Do
Patrols, monitoring and hands-on rescues, carried out with Mexican authorities and local partners.
Constant patrol
The Seahorse stays on station in the Upper Gulf, ready to respond when entangled sea lions are spotted.
Colony monitoring
Drones and boat surveys track colony health and entanglement across the Upper Gulf.
Disentanglement
Trained teams capture entangled sea lions, cut away the net and release them back to the colony.
Documentation
Every injury and every net is recorded to build the evidence for enforcement and policy action.
Net removal
Illegal gillnets and ghost gear come out of the water, lowering the risk for every animal in the area.
Local partners
Campaigns run with Profepa, the Mexican Navy, local fishing groups and conservation organizations.
Sea Shepherd / Results
Sea Lions Set Free
Most of the nets cut from these animals are flatfish gillnets. Each rescue takes a ship, a trained team and partners on the island.
-
2025 Isla San Jorge
17
sea lions freed in a spring campaign, March 28 to April 5.
-
2025 Isla San Jorge
13
freed in October, five of them pups.
-
2025 Consag Rock
5
freed at Consag Rock across April and October.
-
2026 Isla San JorgeNow
13
freed in the seventh campaign in March: five pups and eight juveniles. Six animals freed in 2025 were seen healthy.
81sea lions rescued
7campaigns on Isla San Jorge
With Profepa and local partners
Sea Shepherd / Gallery
From the Colonies
Sea Shepherd / Sea Lion Rescue
Fund the Next Rescue
Every rescue takes a ship, a trained crew and partners on the island. Your gift keeps the Seahorse on patrol and the rescue team ready for the next sea lion caught in a net.
81 sea lions rescued on Isla San Jorge
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