Photo Credit: Marine Mammal Care Center
SAN PEDRO, Calif. - A sea lion named Confetti is recovering after being rescued from Ballona Creek in Marina del Rey earlier this month.
According to the Marine Mammal Care Center, Confetti tested positive for leptospirosis, a bacterial infection that affects the kidneys and can be fatal if not treated.
Blood work also showed liver abnormalities. However, vets made an alarming discovery when skull X-rays showed two bullets in his head. Confetti survived the shootings. The Marine Mammal Care Center said it's not unusual to find sea lions that have been shot by humans.
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After days of being monitored and cared for, Confetti eventually started eating and healing.
What they're saying:
"Confetti was markedly lethargic upon arrival at our hospital and remained that way for the first few days in care. He showed no interest in fish and rarely moved. Our veterinary experts were quite concerned given his poor condition and lack of improvement. But finally, on day four in care, he started moving around and was more alert," the Marine Mammal Care Center wrote on Facebook.
They say he successfully chased and ate live fish on day seven. And by day eight, he was eating the herring he was offered multiple times a day.
What we don't know:
It's unclear what caused Confetti to initially get sick. In early 2025, a toxic algae bloom impacted marine life across the California coast, causing some sea lions to become aggressive.
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It's also unclear if they are searching for the suspect who shot at Confetti.
The Source: Information for this story came from the Marine Mammal Care Center.