Half Moon Bay sees more dead sea lions, birds

Wildlife experts and rescue organizations are sounding the alarm over a growing wave of sick and dead sea lions and seabirds washing ashore along San Mateo County beaches, with Half Moon Bay emerging as a primary hotspot. Beachgoers like local resident James have noticed the stark increase firsthand: It s not just me, everybody is noticing, this year a lot more than usual sea lions and birds showing up dead on the beach. Marine experts attribute the sea lion deaths primarily to domoic acid poisoning, a naturally occurring neurotoxin produced by blooming algae. The toxin is absorbed by small fish and subsequently ingested by marine mammals. It s a naturally occurring toxin, it can thrive in both warm water conditions as well as cold water conditions, said Giancarlo Rulli, a spokesperson for the Marine Mammal Center. While overall response calls have declined elsewhere, Rulli noted that we ve seen a decline in the number of calls and responses since then except for San Mate