Several Sea Lions Found Dead near California Coast

Several Sea Lions Found Dead near California Coast. 

Several dead sea lions have washed up on the coast of California, perplexing biologists in the state.

It’s not uncommon for sea lions to get stranded. They are usually puppies who have recently been weaned from their moms. 

The Pacific Marine Mammal Center treats these sea lions and helps them return to the sea.

Recent strandings off the coast of California, on the other hand, are unusual, and experts are baffled as to what is causing them.

The Orange County Register said that rescuers first grew concerned when they discovered a sea lion between 7 and 15 years old stranded on Newport Beach in February. The sea lion had experienced so many seizures that he had gone blind.

More sea lions began washing up along the shore from Newport Beach to Laguna Beach, some 11 miles distant, only days later. Then, finally, the Orange County Register reported that all sea lions had died.

According to the news site, 21 young sea lions were discovered dead, with six of them washing up on the same day.

Because all sea lions were found with squid in their bellies, scientists believed that a domoic acid bloom may have caused the fatalities.

When pseudo-nitzschia australis, a toxic alga that contains neurotoxins, grows in the water, it causes a domoic acid bloom. The algae may be found from California to Canada along the Pacific coast.

The neurotoxic can concentrate in tiny animals like a squid when it blooms. For example, a sea lion’s heart and brain might be damaged if it consumes too much poison. 

The poison usually disappears from the sea lion’s body over time. Still, if a big amount is taken, it might have catastrophic consequences.

Dr. Alissa Deming, vice president of Conservation Medicine and Science at the Marine Mammal Center, is skeptical that toxic blooms were the cause of the sea lion deaths because they are uncommon this time of year.

When the water temperature rises significantly, a pseudo-nitzschia australis bloom occurs. It also seldom affects younger adolescent sea lions. 

The Orange County Register reported that while domoic acid residue was identified during the sea lion autopsy, it was not at a high level.

As a result, Deming and other experts are still baffled as to the reason for the fatalities.

Deming told The Orange County Register that it might be related to an oil leak that occurred off the coast of Huntington Beach in October 2021.

At least 126,000 gallons of crude oil were dumped into the water due to the event. According to The Los Angeles Times, it was the most significant leak in California in recent years. 

In addition, the leak wreaked havoc on the environment. According to the Oiled Wildlife Care Network, the incident affected over 80 birds and fish, with over half of them dying.

Huntington Beach is just around 5 miles from the sea lion strandings, but further research is needed to confirm this notion.

To get to the root of the mystery strandings, scientists will continue to analyze samples from the deceased sea lions.