Original watercolor, the size of the painting is 12"x16" and with a mat 3” wide consisting of two layers for a total size of 18"x22”.  The colors of the mats have been carefully selected to complement and enhance the painting.

Ritzy, a rare and beautiful female fur seal, made a dramatic recovery at The Marine Mammal Center. Still showing scars from the net that was entangled around her neck and had caused her to strand, Ritzy was released along with two female California sea lions, Toothpick and Daddy-O, two months after her rescue.

Because her species is considered threatened and she was far from her natural territory of Guadalupe Island off Baja, Mexico, Ritzy was fitted with a satellite transmitter to monitor her movements. We were able to reciever data from the transmitter for two months. The         reason we lost transmission is likely due to the fact that the tag is designed to drop off when the animals molts. Ritzy's western-most recorded position was about 300 miles from her release site at Pebble Beach, California.

By 1897, after decades of being hunted for their luxurious fur, Guadalupe fur seals were thought to be extinct. However, in 1954, an expedition to Guadalupe Island found a colony of 14 seals there. In 1987, scientists counted 3259 Guadalupe fur seals at the island. 
Ritzy's successful rehabilitation will add another animal to this threatened population, increasing their chances for recovery.

Price: Not Available

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