Sea lions and other marine mammals in Southern California have been victims of addiction events that local experts have made the worst case scenario in recent memory. Warnings are issued to beach fans of the threat posed by disease-changing animals, destroying mammals along the coast.
Surfers were on the board off the coast of Ventura County on Friday when they reported an attack by a sea lion, “wild, almost devil.” Rj Lamendola said the animal bit him as he surfed Oxnard and shook his head and dragged him out of the surfboard. He said on Facebook that the sea lions kept sneaking him up when he paddled in a horrifying way.
When you consume domo acid from the harmful algae Bloom, sea lions can cause seizures and cause them to stun their heads in motion called “starry sky removal.” They can also fall into coma. However, experts advise people not to interact with animals considered to be sick without warning, as they may even be actively charging or biting.
Meanwhile, local rescuers are struggling to deal with the challenge.
As of Friday, at least 140 sea lions had been employed by San Pedro’s Marine Mammal Care Center, according to John Warner’s chief executive. At least 50 dolphins are also left behind on local beaches, but are usually euthanized as they almost always die from taking domo acid.
Domain acids are neurotoxins produced by harmful algae flowers that accumulate in filter-feeding fish such as anchovy and sardines. These fish are then eaten by seals, sea lions and dolphins. Sea lions have a survival rate of 50% to 65% when taken up for treatment in a timely manner.
Sea lions from the marine mammal care center. Algae flowers, which lead to animal disease, are expected to be exacerbated by climate change.
(William Leanne / For the era)
Animals can be treated, but it is difficult for adult women to move to facilities that weigh up to 250 pounds and adult men to 1,000 pounds.
A similar domo acid event occurred in California in 2023, killing more than 1,000 sea lions.
The February algae bloom is not common, but unheard of, Warner said, adding that he can only remember one other strand event at this time of the year for a few years.
Warner said toxic algae blooms have also deteriorated over time as human activity worsens the intensity, timing and scale of events that are prominent in human activity.
Warner says that warming ocean temperatures, coupled with nitrate acidification, caused by climate change, exacerbates toxic algae events. When rain falls in LA County, organic runoff flows into the ocean and supplies algae.
“Stargaze,” or head-clanging movement, is one of the symptoms during the development of domo acid.
(William Leanne / For the era)
“I liken it to flowers placed on steroids because of human-caused factors that make these flowers worse each time we see them,” Warner said.
Large domain acid flowers usually occur every 3-7 years, but Warner said scientists expect these events to happen much more frequently.
Treatment of affected animals includes tube feeding and IV fluid twice a day, providing nutrition and medication until the attack is controlled, Warner said. Treatment includes anti-seizure medications and sedatives. This also helps control seizures, not deteriorating the intensity and duration, resulting in permanent brain damage.
Warner says the longer the toxic flowers are, the more exposed the animals, the higher the risk of brain damage, preventing them from returning to the wild. In such cases, the animal must be euthanized if the behavior is no longer safe.
Sea lions are handled by veterinarians at the San Pedro Wildlife Center.
(William Leanne / For the era)
The current algae bloom, which began about a month ago, is worse for the centre than what occurred in 2023.
Warner said that the higher number of diseased sea lions collected throughout the centre means more male sea lions are succumbing to domo acid poisoning compared to two years ago. In 2023, the center acquired around 130 sea lions and did not need to take any men.
“It takes a lot of time to beat them. We’re taking them in if we don’t fight them,” he added. “It says a lot about the state they are in.”
The duration and frequency of flowers that can lead to sea lion addiction are increasing.
(William Leanne / For the era)
Male sea lions can be stored in the same pen when they are in coma, but once they start to wake up, they can become aggressive due to the neurological effects of the toxins. It places the capacity strain in the wildlife center, as at some point all male sea lions need their own enclosure.
Warner said the center could probably ingest 20 more sea lions. The centre can only enter the sea lion for an additional week or two, as it is necessary to prepare to rescue orphans or chained elephant seal puppies during puppy seasons that fall between February and late June.
“If these numbers are another week or two behind, we’ll be somewhere we have to leave the animals on the beach,” he said.
Sea lions recover at marine mammal care centers.
(William Leanne / For the era)
Currently, the center has two male sea lions in the same pen and they need to be separated. There are four small enclosures, medium sized enclosures and large enclosures. Each enclosure can fit into 3-5 adult female sea lions, but only male sea lions are surrounded by the enclosure at once.
“It’s an organized mess,” he added.
During the 2023 Strand event, the Wild Dryon Center won 120 sea lions and five dolphins, Warner said. Dolphins are only rehabilitated if they are endangered species. They tend to struggle with intense stress hormones and breathing when people are around people and outside the water.
There’s not much you can do to cut back or clean the flowers. Bloom usually lasts between four and eight weeks, Warner said. The 2023 Strand event lasted eight and a half weeks.
Madison Coopers at the Wildlife Center prepare fish for feeding.
(William Leanne / For the era)
Because Marine Mammal Care Centers are a small nonprofit that rely on private philanthropy, Warner is reaching out to state cities and counties to seek help in preparing for future oversight events.
“It’s like it’s in a fire. Once the fire starts, we don’t hire firefighters or staff,” he said. “We are not a resource for continuous processing of this volume. We are doing everything we can to meet in that moment and we cannot do this without a public and private partnership.”
Angelenos may have been learning to stay at least 50 feet away from sick marine animals over the years, take selfies and not bring dolphins on the beach back into the water, but tourists are not educated on proper protocols.
Sea lions are located in a marine mammal care center cage, where their capacity is tense due to a surge in poisoning.
(William Leanne / For the era)
People should call (800) 399-4253 to ask for rescue assistance if they see isolated marine animals.
Dolphins in particular are thin around humans, and if they get scared, they have a higher heart attack.
“That’s not the right outcome for these animals, people need to leave them alone and don’t have to hire a crowd around them,” Warner said. “That’s what we really need from the public. Selfies are killing animals, so use Zoom and leave.”
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