Photo by: Krista Weissmuller
A devastating crisis is unfolding off Southern California’s coast as a deadly algal bloom claims the lives of thousands of marine animals, including California sea lions, dolphins, and countless seabirds. Tragically, the poisoning has now taken a toll on humpback, minke, and gray whales, all of which are washing ashore lifeless along the beaches of Orange and Los Angeles Counties.
Two weeks ago, WAN reported on a somber scene that unfolded in Long Beach Harbor as responders from the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network recovered the body of a young male minke whale. The subadult, measuring approximately 24 feet long, had been observed circling the harbor the week before being found deceased.
Necropsies by the Pacific Marine Mammal Center and the Ocean Animal Response & Research Alliance have confirmed high levels of domoic acid, a potent neurotoxin, in these whales. This toxin accumulates in fish such as anchovies and sardines, posing a threat to the entire marine food web.
“I have been a resident of Malibu for the past 15 years. I run along the beaches of Western Malibu weekly, and never in my life have I seen so much marine life washed up on shore either ill or dead. The situation in 2025 has been the worst I’ve ever witnessed, and it is truly heartbreaking,” expressed Krista Weissmuller, a passionate marine wildlife advocate.
“During my beach run on Thursday morning, April 24, 2025, I came across a heartbreaking sight: a dolphin, lifeless, at the end of Zuma Beach. My heart began to race as I stopped in disbelief. I immediately reached out to a wildlife center to report this tragic news and arrange for the dolphin to be picked up,” continued Weissmuller. “We must do better to save our Earth, our marine life, our wildlife, and our planet. Too many sea lions, birds, dolphins, and even whales along our magnificent California coast have been affected.”
If you see a stranded marine mammal, please keep your distance and contact the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network at (866) 767-6114.
