Jules Leon climbed into a Ford pickup truck fitted with a net, a wheeled crate he calls a “moon buggie” and a defective winch. It was March 18 and Leon was on his way to Redondo Beach — for his third call of the day.

Leon, a responder with San Pedro’s Marine Mammal Care Center, checked in with lifeguards to confirm that a sick sea lion was last seen just north of the Avenue B Lifeguard Tower. Leon located the sea lion — which showed clear signs of domoic acid toxicosis — and, with the help of ocean lifeguard Charles Pogue, quickly captured and transported the mammal back to the Marine Mammal Care Center for treatment.

Next door to that center, at the International Bird Rescue faciltiy, senior wildlife rehabilitation technician Jennifer Martines did all she could to nurture cormorant chic

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