Peter Wallerstein hardly ever sets foot in an office. He gets a lot of sun. And the deep, mournful sounds emitting from the back of his pickup truck often attract attention. Why? Because he’s the guy you call if you happen to find a stranded marine mammal on the South Bay beaches of Los Angeles. Last year he stayed pretty busy, rescuing 165 sea lions and seals, one dolphin and more than 100 seabirds. It’s not a bad way to spend your life, and you can read a full profile of Wallerstein here.
Here’s a typical scene in his Wetass life:
“In the truck’s bed is a huge steel crate, perforated with air holes.
“What do you got in there?” asks a goateed young man in the next car. Wallerstein knows better, but he can’t resist.
“It’s my girlfriend,” he says, anything but deadpan, his face breaking into a wide smile.
Wallerstein might be permitted a little dark levity. Moments before, dressed in shorts, T-shirt and hiking sandals, he was at water’s edge in Hermosa Beach, standing between the surf and a seizing, disoriented, 200-plus-pound sea lion.
With a big hoop net, Wallerstein will try to get the sick sea creature into the steel box, so he can take it to the local marine mammal emergency room. Of course, the sea lion doesn’t know that. It is very mobile on land with flippers adapted for walking — and charging if need be — and its every instinct is to get away.”
Wallerstein has his own website, with lots of dramatic and touching tales of marine mammal rescue. Sounds like a possible Baywatch-esue TV drama…
“Damn, here’s this nutjob again. Dude, I told you, I’m just trying to catch a little sun and check out the latest in bikini fashion…!”
The Earthist Chronicles 