Park officials in Monterey have temporarily closed a popular beach due to an influx of sea lions. The announcement on the city’s Facebook page has asked the public to stay clear of San Carlos Beach, a small sandy expanse near the start of the city’s famous Cannery Row and the paved Monterey Peninsula Recreation Trail.
Closed until further notice, officials ask visitors and residents to watch the sea lions from a distance of at least 50 yards. Wildlife watchers can view safely from grassy bluffs above the beach.
Marine mammals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. People who harass, feed, capture, or kill any marine mammal could face a hefty fine or even jail time.
City officials will update the Facebook post once the beach is safe to reopen.
Sick sea lions showing up in other beaches in California
Dozens of sick and dying sea lions started showing up along the Ventura and Santa Barbara coast in late July and early August.
A deluge of calls started in late July at the Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute, a nonprofit organization that rescues and rehabilitates marine mammals in the two counties. Within days, volunteers had rescued more than two dozen California sea lions, said Ruth Dover, the organization’s managing director. Others were under observation at local beaches.
The majority of the victims were adult females who appeared to be sick with domoic acid poisoning, a naturally occurring toxin in algae. The rapid growth of algae can cause elevated levels of the neurotoxin domoic acid, which can be harmful for seabirds and mammals.
What to do if you see a stranded or sick sea lion
Experts recommend watching the animal from a safe distance and not touching, moving, feeding, or allowing pets to get near it. Getting too close can be dangerous for both people and their pets and cause sick animals more stress.
Crowding could cause sea lions to act aggressively or return to the ocean when they need to be on the beach, which is part of their natural habitat.
More information is available at cimwi.org.
Where are sea lions found on the California Coast?
Two types of sea lions are found on the California Coast: California sea lions and Steller Sea lions.
California sea lions live in the North Pacific Ocean’s shallow waters off North America. Their primary breeding range is from the Channel Islands in southern California to central Mexico.
Most years, male California sea lions migrate during the winter to feeding areas off California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Canada, and southeast Alaska, but females and pups stay near the breeding areas.
Steller sea lions are also found in coastal waters in the northern Pacific Ocean, from Japan to Central California. They are sometimes confused with the California sea lion but are usually much larger and lighter in color.
This article originally appeared on Salinas Californian: California beach in Monterey closes due to influx of sea lions
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