Stranded elephant seal pups wash up in SLO County. What to do if you see one
The pups born this season at Piedras Blancas have been weaned. They've developed skills to survive, and many have left the beach on their first migration.
Some can't quite make it in the ocean, however.
They wash up on local beaches, underweight and exhausted.
'They are coming in at 30 to 40 kg (65-90 lbs), below their birth weight,' said Shayla Zink, operations manager for The Marine Mammal Center's Morro Bay facility.
Stranded weaners may still have their black birth fur, or they may have molted that to their Silver Bullet skin, brown on their backs and silver on their bellies.
Weaned pups usually stay on the beach for six to eight weeks after their mothers leave them.
In that time, successful pups have gained enough weight to keep warm in a comfortable coat of blubber. That blubber also supports them during the time they remain on the beach, when they have finished nursing but aren't yet hunting and eating fish.
They also grow a second set of teeth, molt their baby fur and develop their oxygen capacity. They practice swimming and holding their breath, so that they will be able to dive and hunt for prey out in the ocean.
Most of the pups get that far, but some don't.
They are the ones lying on local public beaches, among driftwood and rocks that camouflage them, or unprotected on the sand.
Most frequent locations for stranded weaners include Morro Bay, Avila Beach, Oceano, Pismo Beach and San Simeon Cove.
Even for the strong, healthy weaners, it's a tough ocean.
Only half will survive that first migration. Those that do will return in the fall, then officially considered Young of the Year.
You can follow satellite tagged pups at Team Ellie, Cal Poly's elephant seal research team, led by Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Heather Liwanag.
It's never advisable to approach a stranded seal on the beach. You or your dog could catch something, or get bitten. From the seal's perspective, humans — even well-intentioned — are threatening.
Stranded weaners are especially vulnerable.
'They are so malnourished and dehydrated that they are very lethargic on beach,' said Giancarlo Rulli, associate director of public relations at The Marine Mammal Center. 'It's easy for an off-leash dog or someone concerned to get within a few feet of them, to poke it with a stick to see if it's alive.'
Finding a weak pup on the beach can be a highlight of a Central Coast visit.
Visitors want to do the right thing, but don't know what to do. Shooing an exhausted pup back into the ocean adds stress to its already weakened condition. It can scare the pup, making the rescue team's job more difficult.
'Any extra energy they have to use defending themselves from dogs or people detracts from their ability to develop the skills they need to survive in the ocean,' Zink said.
Instead, people who spot a stranded pup should call for help using the Center's 24-hour hotline at 415-289-7325 (SEAL). Take photos. Find out what the location is. Find beach staff members of other agencies and ask for advice.
'It's spring break,' Zink said. 'People are heading to the beaches. Whoever you report it to, State Parks or Friends of the Elephant Seal, they will report it to us.'
The Center will then send out a team to evaluate the animal and rescue it if necessary.
It may just be resting on the beach, not in need of any intervention. Or it may have other injuries that need attention. The goal is to return all marine mammals to their ocean home, strong enough to survive there.
The Center's hospital in Sausalito is currently dominated by elephant seal pup patients.
Finding a stranded seal isn't something that most beachgoers are prepared for.
Rulli wants to change that, so that they'll have the tools they need to report a stranded marine mammal 'in their back pocket, on their beach checklist like a towel or sunscreen.'
He's spreading the word to watersport businesses such as kayak and surf shops and nonprofit organizations engaged with the coast.
Restaurants and hotels are other possible locations to support public education on dealing with marine mammals on the beaches here along the Blue Serengeti.
'It's a message of hope,' Rulli said. 'Keeping marine mammals safe.'
Meanwhile, after 20 years at the Morro Bay site, behind the power plant, The Marine Mammal Center needs to find a new location for its SLO County operations since Vistra Corp has other plans for the site.
It is asking the public to send any leads on possible commercial properties that could be its new home.
They need enough space for the office and fish kitchen indoors, and outdoors, cages for rescued animals. Storage for various supplies and gear. Convenient access for rescue trucks and vans. Parking for volunteers and staff.
The Marine Mammal Center is tapping every agency and real estate broker in the area. If you have an idea, send it directly to the email set up for property suggestions, slo@tmmc.org.
'Our eyes and ears are open,' Rulli said. 'We will take any leads.'
The Center rescued more than 400 marine mammals in SLO County in 2024. And with changing ocean conditions, more marine mammals may need the Center's rescue in the future.
Currently, warm ocean conditions are fueling a bloom of toxic algae in Southern California, with some sea lions affected by domoic acid toxicity along the Central Coast. During 2024's outbreak, the Center rescued more than 200 animals within a two-month period.
Domoic acid typically affects sea lions rather than elephant seals, due to differences in what they eat. Sea lions feed on the fish that eat the algae and bioaccumulate the toxin.
— Christine Heinrichs is SLO At Large Member of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council. Her elephant seal column won first place from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists in 2024.
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