Thousands of Emaciated Baby Sea Lions Washing Up Ashore Dying

February 17, 2016

Linda Ha
Linda Ha
Jul 23, 2017 · 3 min read

Marine mammals are not one of the first victims of El Niño that we tend to think about, but thousands of baby sea lions are washing up ashore malnourished and dehydrated along the 600 miles of the California coastline. 53 tawny pinnipeds are undergoing rehabilitation at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach.

In 2015 alone, at least 3,300 pups were found severely underweight and malnourished on southern California beaches — an amount greater than the reported strandings from 2012 to 2014 combined, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Teams of researchers and scientists say global climate change is to blame for the spike in marine mammal mortality.

“The oceans absorb carbon dioxide released in the atmosphere by human-caused emissions and burning of fossil fuels keeping the Earth as we know it cooler, but the rate at which the ocean is able to keep up with the pace of continued emissions is unclear,” said Julie Ferguson, a paleoclimate research scientist at UC Irvine.

In addition to global climate change, sea surface temperatures have increased more than 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit since the Industrial Revolution, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. This is partly due to the a phenomenon that occurs irregularly every two to seven years called El Niño. Under normal, non-El Niño conditions, deep-ocean waters upwell in the eastern equatorial Pacific, bringing nutrient-rich, cold water to the surface. When the water reaches the surface, this combination of abundant nutrients and sunlight helps phytoplankton that form the base of the marine food web to grow.

During El Niño conditions, upwelling is suppressed, and the deep, nutrient-rich waters no longer reach the surface, causing less phytoplankton productivity. With the decrease in plankton, the fish population declines, directly affecting the seal and sea lion population and is an indicator that there could be a larger issue with the entire ecosystem.

“We continue to rehab the sea lions because they are a canarian coal mine and tell us what is going on in the marine environment and how it might affect human beings in the future,” said Keith Matassa, Executive Director at PMMC. “The sea lions share the same beach and the same environment as us all the time. What’s affecting the sea lions will affect humans because we are so close.”

In the first month of 2016, the center accepted 23 new “patients” who were found shivering and extremely underweight only weighing about six to fifteen pounds. Marine mammal experts say the optimal weight for sea lions is between 35 to 40 pounds. When sea lions begin their rehabilitation treatment, many are too emaciated to digest whole fish. The center’s volunteers and staff feed them “fish smoothies”, a blend of fish, medication, vitamins, and Pedialyte via tube.

When the mammals are nursed back to health, the staff weans them towards eating whole fish again. Often, pups were found stranded on beaches before they were taught how to eat.

“Notice how that volunteer is feeding the baby fur seals with the fish head first,” said Joan Baker, staff at PMMC. “This is how they eat in the wild because if they eat tail first, they will choke on the fish gills and scales.”

Emily Ladin, a volunteer at PMMC throws five handfuls of flash frozen fish from Alaska into the pool as the lions dive and compete for the food- one indicator that they’re ready to be released. “There’s no petting or calling them by name, we don’t even keep eye contact with them because some may receive that as a threat” said Ladin. “We don’t want them to get used to humans because they become nuisances to fishermen who have have a history of shooting them in the past.”

Sea lions at the center go through rehabilitation for three to four months on average before being reintroduced to the ocean. Matassa says it costs about $2,000 to treat each sea lion. Before being released from the PMMC, their weight must be proportional to their body length. They have to pass an animal care inspection without any diseases. And, the sea lions have to show they will actively compete for fish when volunteers throw it into the pool.

“The goal is to release all animals and give them a second chance at life with their best chance of survival,” said Matassa. “It’s an indescribable feeling seeing an animal go from near death, and then watching them go home, back to the ocean.”

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade