See a sick sea animal on the beach? Don’t approach it, Central Coast rescue group urges
An elephant seal pup curled up on a heating pad at the Marine Mammal Center on Tuesday morning, flashing large, shiny eyes at passersby before flopping down to continue her nap — a peaceful sight compared to the day of her rescue.
On March 8, an off-leash dog rushed the pup, since affectionately nicknamed Rumple, at Hearst State Beach just as first responders arrived to rescue the malnourished animal.
Luckily, neither Rumple nor the dog were injured in the incident — but Rumple’s chaotic rescue provided a snapshot of a far-too-often challenge faced by sick and injured marine life beached in San Luis Obispo County, Marine Mammal Center spokesperson Giancarlo Rulli said.
Of the 407 animals the Center responded to last year, 20% had been disturbed by people or dogs before being rescued, according to data compiled by the nonprofit.
That means individuals or dogs got within 20 feet of 80 animals rescued by the Center.
“Marine mammal disturbance is a real issue along the Central and Northern California Coast,” Rulli said.
The percentage of disturbances dropped slightly since 2023, when 27 animals — or 22% of those rescued by the Center — had been disturbed.
At first glance, that number “is a good thing,” Rulli said. But in 2023, the Center responded to 124 animals — far less than in 2024. So there were fewer opportunities for people to disturb marine mammals stuck on the beach, he said.
Last year, hot spots for disturbance were Oceano, Pismo Beach, Avila Beach and Morro Bay.
The Center’s responders have seen people try to chase animals back into the water because they think it’s unhealthy for the animal to rest on land. That’s not always the case: Chasing a sea lion sick with domoic acid poisoning could trigger a seizure and cause further harm to the animal, for example.
“We know from our data that the archetype of the person that’s here in the Central Coast is somebody that cares about marine life, but they’re often taking the wrong action,” Rulli said.
Marine Mammal Center treated domoic acid poisoning
The Marine Mammal Center fought a surge of domoic acid poisoning in California sea lions last summer.
From August to September, the Marine Mammal Center responded to 200 sea lions infected with the naturally-occurring toxin.
“Last year was very severe,” Rulli said. “200 sea lions in a two-month span is really intense.”
Domoic acid accumulates in fish eaten by the sea lions, then attacks their brain — causing seizures and heart failure.
Sea lions rely on fish for water as well as nutrients, so “when they’re eating fish that are impacted by this toxin, unfortunately, there’s no way for them to flush that toxin out of their body,” Rulli said.
Sea lions with domoic acid poisoning are transported to the Marine Mammal Center’s Sausalito hospital, where they receive lots of fluids to flush out the toxin.
Domoic acid poisoning was first identified in sea lions in 1998. Back then, sea lions really only got infected during the summer. Now, the Marine Mammal Center is seeing it year-round.
“That should be a concern for all of us, because California sea lions are near-coast foragers,” Rulli said. “They eat the same food that we do, and they’re sentinels for ocean health, and so when they’re coming ashore sick, we really need to be paying attention about what they’re telling us.”
Central Coast marine animal rescue looking for a new home
For the past 20 years, the Marine Mammal Center been allowed to operate rent-free on the retired Morro Bay Power Plant property.
However, the current property owner Vistra Corp. informed the nonprofit that their license to operate on site will eventually expire.
So, the Marine Mammal Center is looking for a new home.
“We’re part of the fabric of this community, and we want to stay here,” Rulli said.
He invited the public to reach out to the Center about commercial properties that could accommodate enclosures for the animals and office space for the staff.
“Somewhere that gives us the opportunity to continue to respond to these animals and also educate the public about how important ocean conservation is,” he said.
What to do if you see a sick marine animals
When people spot sick or injured marine mammals, they should keep at least a 20-foot distance and call the Marine Mammal Center’s hotline at 415-289-7325.
For more information, you can also visit marinemammalcenter.org.
