PINNIPEDS IN PERIL

1,000 Sea Lions Washed Ashore

After starving in Southern California.

More than 1,000 starving sea lions have washed ashore in Southern California in recent months, prompting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to declare an “unusual mortality event” for the mammals. Peter Wallerstein, the Marine Animal Rescue director for Friends for Animals, said he has picked up 300 sick and dying sea lion pups, after fielding calls from concerned residents who spot them on the beach. The National Marine Fisheries Service says the likely cause is that the sea lions’ main prey, the smaller fish they feed on, have disappeared. While some are taken to centers, overcrowding has forced rescuers to return some to the water.