Experts sound alarm after sea lion attacks along Southern California coast: 'Definitely the worst we've ever seen'

A 70-mile stretch of the California coast has transformed from a playful sea lion habitat to an attack zone for the animals.

What's happening?

The attacks on people in the water are likely the result of "domoic acid toxicosis caused by toxic algal bloom, often referred to as red tide," CNN reported. A surfer near Oxnard was ambushed March 21, and a 15-year-old was bitten in Long Beach on March 30 while trying out to be a junior lifeguard.

Affected sea lions eventually become nearly comatose and get stranded on local beaches, one expert said. The neurotoxin causes breathing problems and seizures. Dolphins are also at risk, with a record 70-plus strandings in Los Angeles County already this year.

"Something is happening in this particular bloom that seems worse on multiple levels," John Warner, CEO of Los Angeles' Marine Mammal Care Center, told CNN. "But volume-wise, it's definitely the worst we've ever seen."

Warner said domoic acid toxicosis makes the sea lions frightened and disoriented. They can experience a fight or flight response, with "hyper-energetic … aggressive or scared behavior. … If someone swims or walks next to them and they don't see the animal or the animal doesn't see them, that's where some negative interactions can take place."

Why is this important?

An MMCC hotline fielded 2,000 calls in March and the first week of April. It usually gets 3,000-4,000 calls per year.

CNN reported rising global and ocean surface temperatures as well as land development are making the algae problem worse. More acidic warmer water and nitrogen fertilizer runoff are both boons to the blooms, which are happening every year instead of once every few years, Warner told CNN. He noted that the Channel Islands, where 85% of the sea lions are born, seem to be ground zero for the domoic acid events of the last four years.

Domoic acid, which naturally occurs in the Pacific Ocean, bioaccumulates as organisms eat it and other species up the food chain consume them, so larger predators such as sea lions, dolphins, and pelicans are in greater danger.

What's being done about domoic acid toxicosis?

Rescuers feed the sea lions by tube twice daily for about a week before they can eat on their own. They are also given anti-seizure medication, fluids, and more nutrition to flush their systems. The survival rate is 50-65%, though it may be lower this year because of the intensity of the sickness. About 80% of the creatures are pregnant mothers, and sea lion and elephant seal pups are stranding more often.

By April 1, MMCC had already treated 240 animals. Its annual budget covers only 300. In the case of dolphins, they are not likely to be rescued because they are normally already dead when stranded. Only a quarter of those saved are still alive.

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