Poppy (Callorhinus ursinus)

Weak and exhausted, Poppy, a northern fur seal pup, wandered into San Francisco Bay and decided to rest at a very busy Berkeley marina.

Listed as a depleted species, northern fur seals spend most of their life at sea, and rarely come ashore on mainland beaches. Fortunately, several boaters noticed the malnourished pup and contacted the Center.

After two and a half months of supportive care, Poppy doubled her weight and resumed the feisty behavior typical of a healthy fur seal. She was released back into the wild and will hopefully parent offspring, helping replenish the depleted fur seal population.