Four California sea lions, each with a story of survival, bounded back into the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday morning as a crowd of onlookers cheered, cried and captured the moment on camera. The release marked the first public celebration of its kind since a devastating toxic algal bloom began affecting marine mammals across Southern California earlier this year.
The event, held by Venice Pier, was organized by the Marine Mammal Care Center and attended by volunteers, public officials and local residents who had witnessed firsthand the impact of demoic acid toxicosis, a neurotoxin produced by harmful algae that has ravaged local sea life. Officials with the center said this year’s bloom was the worst on record, surpassing even last year’s high, with Los Angeles County at the epicenter.
“This was the first release since the end of this latest bloom,” said John Warner, CEO of the Marine Mammal Care Center. “And what we saw today was more than a medical recovery, it was a moment of shared joy and healing. The environment can feel overwhelming and frightening, especially to young people. But this, this is what hope looks like.”
Warner described the challenges of caring for sick or injured sea lions in a clinical setting while emphasizing that the ocean, for all its dangers, remains their only true home. “Keeping 20 animals in a small rehab pool is like putting 20 kittens in a bedroom with no scratching posts. They nip, they crowd, they injure one another. They’re wild. The best thing we can do, whenever possible, is send them back.”
The four sea lions released, all female pups, were named Peachick, Spiderling, Sprinkles and Brownie. Each had spent more than a month at the center receiving treatment for various ailments, including abscesses, bacterial infections and pneumonia. None had been affected by demoic acid, a factor which made them suitable for public release.
Peachick was found with a facial abscess on Dockweiler Beach in April. After weeks of antibiotics and wound care, she had doubled in size and healed completely. Spiderling, pulled from a jetty in Redondo Beach, was treated for a deep neck laceration caused by a boat propeller with manuka honey and antibiotics. Sprinkles overcame a suspected calicivirus infection and Brownie, found lethargic in Long Beach, recovered from a lung infection after a course of treatment.
County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, whose district includes much of the affected coastline, spoke at the event and praised the collaborative effort that made the releases possible. “This is truly a moment of joy,” Horvath said. “It is the result of miracle work by the Marine Mammal Care Center, lifeguards, volunteers and every person who called in a sighting or gave these animals a chance.”
Horvath said the County is learning from the crisis and making preparations for future blooms, which are now expected annually. She noted that post-wildfire runoff likely contributed to the severity of this year’s bloom, feeding algae with organic material and nitrates, though she emphasized that climate change remains the root cause.
“We’re updating our training, investing in emergency readiness and making sure lifeguards and animal responders are equipped for what’s to come,” Horvath said. “These blooms are becoming seasonal and we need to be proactive, not reactive.”
The center fielded more than 8,000 hotline calls in the first four months of the year and responded to over 1,000 marine mammals in distress. More than 500 animals were treated during that time, far exceeding the center’s typical annual caseload. Warner said the situation reached a tipping point in early spring, prompting a formal appeal to the Board of Supervisors.
“This wasn’t something we could handle with a few discretionary dollars,” Warner said. “The scale of the emergency made it clear that this was a public issue, not just a nonprofit burden. The County stepped in and said, ‘We’ve got you,’ and that’s how these animals got the care they needed.”
The center still has about 40 animals in recovery, including many affected by demoic acid. Warner said those patients are unlikely to be part of public releases, due to the added stress and sensitivity of their conditions. But as more animals are cleared for release, the center hopes to host additional events.
“People need this,” Warner said. “It’s a reminder that in the face of ecological trauma, we can do something. These animals were on the brink and now they’re back where they belong.”
Santa Monica-based conservation biologist Ashley Oelsen, described the season as emotionally draining. “I walked the beaches every day for weeks and saw more death than I ever expected,” Oelsen said. “This release felt like closure. But it’s also a reminder that the ocean is still sick and we’re still polluting it with everything from bacteria to plastics to PFAs. My son won’t go in the water and my husband doesn’t surf here anymore.”
Warner echoed those concerns and said the region must confront its role in degrading the ocean. He cited wastewater releases from the Hyperion plant and chronic sewage spills as ongoing threats that can be addressed through investment and public pressure.
“None of this is inevitable,” Warner said. “These are fixable problems and the health of the ocean affects us all. This is a public health issue, a safety issue and a tourism issue. No one wants to walk a beach strewn with dying animals.”
As the crowd thinned and the media wrapped their interviews, Warner offered one final message, this one directed to local government.
“We’ve been trying to start a public-private partnership with the City of Santa Monica,” he said. “I know things are tough at City Hall, but I’m inviting them again. Come to the table. Let’s find a way to work together on a regional solution for a regional problem.”
scott.snowden@smdp.com