Dead and malnourished sea lions are being reported along the Mendocino Coast in unusually high numbers, according to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito.
Giancarlo Rulli, a spokesperson for the center, said staff have been receiving reports from the Mendocino Coast as often as several times a day over the past two to three weeks. While that is a significant increase for the area, it remains far below the numbers seen elsewhere in California. In Santa Cruz County, for example, more than 300 dead sea lions were reported last year.
Rulli said the overall number of dead and stranded marine mammals reported along California’s 600-mile coastline remains within historical norms. However, scientists are concerned about a persistent marine heatwave affecting coastal waters…