Marine mammals are getting sick and dying in alarming numbers along the California coast, according to one marine rescue group.
Marine mammals are getting sick and dying in alarming numbers along the California coast, according to one marine rescue group that tracks such trends.
More than 400 mammals have been reported stranded or sickened along the state’s central coast since June, according to the Marine Mammal Center, with more than two-thirds of them dying. Many more likely died at sea or expired before anyone spotted them, the rescue group believes.
The culprits? A corkscrew bacteria called leptospirosis, toxic algae blooms, and changes in the food supply, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Times story described an emaciated sea lion found on a beach north of Santa Cruz, the animal in a self-embrace from the bacteria that damages mammals’ kidneys and inflames their gastrointestinal tracks.
“That’s a classic sign of lepto,” said Giancarlo Rulli, a spokesperson with the center, pointing to the young animal’s self-embrace.
