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The toxins released by one of the largest algae off the coast of Southern California were associated with the deaths of humpback whales in Huntington Beach and minced whales in Long Beach.
Findings released Wednesday by the Pacific Marine Mammal Center follow autopsy results of two whales among the thousands of marine animals that were sick or killed by an outbreak of domoic acid on the Southern California coast. Marine mammals, birds, sea lions and common dolphins have been affected by the surprising epidemic that has led to the four whale environments in the Orange and Los Angeles counties.
Autopsy results help to demonstrate the extent and urgency of the coastal problem.
“Each of these whale deaths is heartbreaking and deeply spoken,” says Keith Matassa, CEO and founder of Ocean Animal Response and Research Alliance (Oara). “Whales are marine health trout and their suffering indicates a greater ecological imbalance driven by strengthening harmful algae flowers.
“These events are no longer isolated. They are increasing in scope, scale, frequency and severity. Oara is at the forefront of marine mammal mortality responses and we work with our partners to investigate, document and better understand the impact of these toxic events.”
Whales are marine health trouts, and their suffering indicates a greater ecological imbalance driven by strengthening harmful algae flowers.
– Keith Matassa, CEO and founder of the Marine Animal Reactions & Research Alliance
A female humpback whale died on January 24th in Huntington Beach. On April 6, the sub-adult minced whales were stuck after the Pacific Marine Mammal Center said it was an unusual swimming behavior for several days at Long Beach Port.
The Mind Whale attracted crowds to the waters of Long Beach harbour in early April, near the Catalina Express Dock at the coastline marina. Harbor’s crew used the boom underwater to bring the whales back towards the open ocean, but later found themselves stuck.
There is a crisis expanding along the LA County coast as sea lions and dolphins are becoming sick to bloom the toxic algae. Michelle Valles reports on NBC4 News at 4am on March 19, 2025.
Test results for boys’ humpback whales and sub-adult minke confirmed high levels of domoacid, a potent, deadly neurotoxin produced by the harmful algae blooms. Necropsies include tests for whale feces, stomach content and urine to determine what may have led to their death.
“These findings support domo acid toxicity as a cause of death,” the center said in a Facebook post. “Like sea lions and dolphins, humpback and minke whales eat small school fish such as sardines and anchovy, known to accumulate domain acids.
“The new results reveal how domoic acid events are echoing through the marine food network, and will affect more species as they continue. This is the fourth consecutive year of domoic acid outbreak off the coast of Southern California, and the event has started previously and remains more severe than experts have seen before.”
The results of necrosis of two gray whales stuck in Dockweiler Beach and Huntington Beach earlier this year are pending.
Toxic algae spread across coastal waters from San Luis Obispo to San Diego are labelled as extreme danger zones by health and environmental groups. Maps of the Southern California coastal ocean observation system show where a large amount of domain acids spread along the Southern California coast at the heart of toxic algae.
“17 years of surveillance by NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center/Wildlife-Texin Research and Reaction Network shows that harmful algae blooms and their toxins are more frequent, severe and long-lasting. “Toxin exposure in marine mammals has increased significantly over the past 20 years.”
More than 50 dead dolphins were found this week, found along the Los Angeles County coast. Sixteen people were found in San Diego on Sunday.
Dr. Alyssa Deming, Vice President of Conservation Medicine + Science + Science at PMMC, said: “This bloom has negatively affected record numbers of sea lions and dolphins and is currently a number of whale species. The magnitude of this mortality raises serious concerns about marine health.”
Debris from wildfires and fertilizer runoff are suspected to contribute to the spread of toxic algae. It is eaten by small fish, which is eaten by marine mammals and birds, leading to potentially fatal toxic overdose.
Sea lions and birds can be saved, but in most cases it is fatal to dolphins.
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