Sea life in Costal California is affected by another “Red Tide” event

Another red tide event is having an impact on sea mammals along the coasts of Central and Southern California.

Marine mammals that are impacted will act in strange ways.

Rangers at California State Parks say the animals are sick because the red tides have poisoned them with domoic acid.

The animals act in ways like being lost and sensitive to being disturbed.

We talked to Kathy Petker, who lives on the Central Coast. She said that every day she goes on the beach, and it hurts her to see a seal slowly dying because of the red tide.

“Unfortunately, there’s some visitors who come to the beach, and they harass the animals,” Peker said. “I literally walked up and started crying because there was a boy throwing a rock or a shell at it, and it’s dying its slow death.”

If you are visiting our Central Coast, thank you for respecting the environment.

There is a lot of algae that causes red tide. Small fish eat the algae, and then larger fish like sea lions and crabs eat it.

• California State Park guards want people who visit beaches that are affected to do the following:.
• Keep your distance: To make sure everyone is safe, park staff are putting orange traffic cones around sick animals. No matter if marine mammals are in or out of coned gaps, stay at least 50 feet away from them.
• Do Not Interact: If you see sea mammals on the beach, don’t bother them, touch them, drive close to them, or feed them.
• Respect Closed Areas: Do not go into any parts of the beach that are already closed.

Animals that are stuck can be reported to workers at CA State Parks or by calling the Marine Mammal Center at 415-289-SEAL.