Scores of reports of sick sea lions along California’s Central Coast

Rescuers check a sea lion for domoic acid ingestion on Thursday at Surf Beach near Lompoc. Wildlife rescuers are reporting an uptick in diseased sea lions along California’s Central Coast. Giancarlo Rulli, a spokesman for the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, said that since mid-July, the center’s network has seen an increase in the number of affected sea lions along the coast in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Rulli said roughly 25% of those sea lions eventually died — whether from the disease or “humane euthanasia.” The dolphins and fur seals also died. your classic telltale signs that likely there’s an issue neurologically going on associated with the domoic acid poisoning.” Dover, of the Channel Islands Institute, said this year’s algal bloom event is predominantly affecting adult female sea lions.