By Jorge Casuso

May 6, 2025 -- The LA County Board of supervisors on Tuesday took "urgent" action to rescue and rehabilitate a rising number of marine mammals stranded on area beaches, including Santa Monica.

Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, who co-sponsored the motion, said hundreds of sea animals, including dolphins and sea lions, have washed up on County beaches "dead or seriously ill."

The motion immediately provides $100,000 "to support emergency rescue and medical care" for the stranded mammals, possibly followed by as much as $600,000 in additional funding.

“We are facing an urgent crisis along our coastline -- marine mammals are washing up sick and dying from domoic acid poisoning (also known as "red tide"), and the situation is only getting worse,” Horvath said.

“This motion delivers critical support to the frontline responders rescuing and caring for these animals," said Horvath, who represents Santa Monica and co-sponsored the motion.

The Marine Mammal Care Center (MMCC) in San Pedro, the region's only authorized responder, "is facing a significant funding and resource gap in responding to daily rescues, County officials said.

The Center "has done extraordinary, often unsung work for years to care for our ocean life," said Supervisor Janice Hahn, the motion's co-sponsor who represents San Pedro.

"But their staff and volunteers are overwhelmed by yet another domoic acid crisis," Hahn said. "They need our help now.”

While MMCC's annual budget can care for as many as 300 mammals a year, it has taken in 410 ill mammals this year, according to Horvath and Hahn.

The trail of dead and injured mammals along the coast from Long Beach to Malibu is due to toxic algae blooms likely fed by nutrient-rich runoff from the fires, according to Marine experts.

The animals who feed on fish contaminated with the neurological toxin suffer seizures and become disoriented, ending up dead or stranded on beaches frequented by millions of visitors.

Over the past two months, dolphins, sea lions and a variety of sea birds have been washing up on Santa Monica's shore ("More Marine Animals Wash Up on Santa Monica Beach," May 2, 2025).

In the last reported count for the seven days from April 13 to April 19, Santa Monica Animal Control officers picked up six dead sea lions and four dolphins.

Of those stranded alive, two injured dolphins were transported to the Marine Mammal Care Center, while a third succumbed to its injuries.

"Today’s action sends a clear message about the vital role of public-private partnerships in protecting both public safety and marine life,” John Warner, the Center's CEO, said after the vote.

The vote comes two years after marine rescue officials warned County and coastal city officials that a red tie outbreak "was inevitable and urged them to take preventative action," according to a report in the Westside Current.