Stranded Sea Lion Pups Arrive in Northern California

Since the beginning of the year, nearly 1,000 starving, dehydrated pups have stranded themselves on Southern California’s shores. In the last week alone, 240 pups have been rescued and delivered to five rehabilitation centers from San Diego to Santa Barbara counties. And with some Southern California centers quickly approaching capacity, rescuers have begun transferring patients up north.
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This California sea lion pup is now being cared for at The Marine Mammal Center.Photo: Ingrid Overgard/The Marine Mammal Center

Malnourished sea lion pups have started arriving in Northern California – by the vanload.

It’s a three-day, two-night trip for the weary mammalian travelers, with overnight stops in San Luis Obispo and Moss Landing. At the end of the road: The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, where the pups will be cared for and returned to health.

Since the beginning of the year, nearly 1,000 starving, dehydrated pups have stranded themselves along Southern California’s shores (including one who’d hauled herself up to the patio of a five-star La Jolla resort). In the last week alone, 240 pups have been rescued and delivered to five rehabilitation centers, from San Diego to Santa Barbara counties. The total number of rescues at those centers, as of Mar. 24, is 948 pups, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Historically, numbers for the area (see graph below) are much, much lower – and the pace of rescues is expected to continue accelerating as the sea lions transition into their weaning season. The number of rescued pups is just a fraction of the sea lions in trouble, with scientists estimating that mortality rates in the sea lions' offshore rookeries could reach as high as 70 percent.

NOAA

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The cause of the mass stranding? Still unknown. But the magnitude of the mass stranding has prompted NOAA Fisheries to declare it an “Unusual Mortality Event,” a declaration that mobilizes federal resources for use in the ongoing investigation. Soon, an independent team will begin coordinating the investigation's next steps, which could include additional necropsies, tissue sampling, and testing for potential biotoxins or infectious agents in the area.

For now, the state's rescue centers will continue working together to care for the stranded sea lion pups. With some southern California centers quickly approaching capacity, rescuers have begun transferring patients up north.

By the end of this week, The Marine Mammal Center will have taken in 30 sea lion pups from southern counties, as well as a young harbor seal, two juvenile northern fur seals and five elephant seal weaners, said Jim Oswald, the Center’s public relations manager.

“We’re hoping that we’re helping those facilities free up really valuable hospital space for incoming patients,” Oswald said.

Here, the sea lion pups will be rehabilitated. When they’re healthy and strong enough to survive on their own, the pups will be released. But getting them to that point takes months and tons of food. Now, with 100 patients on site, Oswald estimates the Center will go through as many as 60,000 pounds of herring by the end of April.

But that number could be even higher, since peak stranding season has yet to arrive, and the Center could be caring for as many as 200 patients soon. “We’re bracing for many more of these young sea lions,” he said.

Ingrid Overgard/TMMC

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To help, and for more information:

__Northern California: __

The Marine Mammal Center, Dollar-a-Pound Campaign

__Southern California: __

Marine Mammal Care Center at Fort McArthur (Los Angeles County)

Marine Animal Rescue (Los Angeles County rescues)

Pacific Marine Mammal Center's Save A Seal Donations (Orange County)

SeaWorld San Diego, Conservation and Rescue (San Diego County)

Santa Barbara Marine Mammal Center (Santa Barbara County)

Channel Islands Marine and Wildlife Institute Donations (Ventura County)