REPORT: Tyre's sea lion returns home

The Ministry of Environment "Project Sea Reserves" and the "International Union for Conservation of Nature" in cooperation with the Municipality of Tyre and its reserve and Operation Big Blue Association were able to return Tyre's sea lion to its habitat in the open sea, specifically the Al-Jamal region known for its underwater caves.

The operation marked a success 24 hours after the sea lion was first spotted at the beach near the touristic Tyre snack-restaurant.The reserves’ project manager in the Ministry of Environment Dr. Hani Chaer said that the ministry arrived on location just as it learned of the news.

Environmental experts and specialized divers also came to study the sea lion’s condition. Dr. Chaer pointed out that the sea lion was finally "trapped" in the net after more than 15 hours of monitoring. The team of experts then transported it following thorough examinations to the port via the municipality vehicle.

The sea lion was then placed on board a fishing boat and taken back to its family and habitat in the open sea as per the recommendation of the fishermen.

Diver Ziad Samaha, a specialist in marine life brought in by the Ministry of Environment said: "For more than 15 hours, I tried to study and examine the nature and behavior of this animal which I lured in several times for interaction. At the end, we were able to catch it and take it back home to its habitat in the open sea. When we released it back into the sea, it floated and made sounds as if it were bidding us farewell".


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