A Northern Vancouver Island stellar sea lion has been freed from a life-threatening entanglement.

The large male sea lion was first noticed back in March with a large packing strap wrapped tightly around its neck. A rescue mission was then undertaken on Sept. 21 by Dr. Martin Haulena, executive director for the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society, and his team to save the sea lion.

The team used a drone to track the sea lion to the rocks at Plumper Island, and then managed to rescue it from its entanglement by sedating it and cutting off the tight packing strap. After that, a second team in another boat gave the animal drugs to wake it up, and roughly a few minutes later, the sea lion swam away free.

DFO and the Marine Education and Research Society were both on hand assisting with the rescue.

According to VAMMR's website, its team has helped develop a specialized technique to save sea lions entangled in marine debris. This method involves the use of a dart to administer anesthetic agents, allowing for the safe handling of the injured animal to remove the debris. Haulena is notably the only veterinarian in Canada, and among a select few globally, qualified to conduct this precise procedure.