This past March, a woman named Anna was enjoying a walk in Redondo Beach, California, when she spotted a strange gray blob blocking the roadway ahead.

“Anna saw an object on the bike path above the beach, and a group of people were gathering near it,” Marine Mammal Care Center CEO John Warner told The Dodo. “When Anna got closer, she saw that it was an elephant seal pup and could hear it vocalizing.”

Worried for the pup, Anna contacted Marine Mammal Care Center. As she waited for help to come, Anna protected the seal, making sure onlookers kept a safe distance.

When Marine Mammal Care Center response department director Brad Torsone arrived, he quickly assessed the situation.

The seal, later named Destiny, was about 150 feet from her ocean home, and she was very malnourished. Care center staff eventually realized she was only 60 pounds, which is severely underweight. According to Warner, healthy pups Destiny’s age weigh closer to 300 pounds. Rescuers assume Destiny wandered up the path seeking the warm cement to account for her lacking body heat.

Torsone gingerly loaded Destiny into the rescue truck and transported her to the center’s animal hospital.

Warner urges anyone who sees a seal or sea lion in need to do what Anna did — contact your local marine mammal stranding organization. It’s important to stay at least 100 feet away from the animals and to avoid interacting with them in any way. If everyone does their part, seals like Destiny won’t have to worry.

Safe at the hospital, Destiny is receiving the expert care she needs.

“[O]ur team of staff and volunteers are doing everything possible to get her on the road to recovery and back to her ocean home,” Warner said.