This year, California’s beaches have become graveyards.

Sea lions, dolphins, whales, and otters are washing ashore in record numbers—sick, starving, and dying. Since June, over 400 marine mammals have been found stranded along the Central Coast alone. Most never made it. Many more likely died at sea, unseen.

At the heart of this crisis is a devastating outbreak of leptospirosis, a bacterial disease that causes internal pain and organ failure in sea lions. But that’s not the only threat. Algal blooms, ship strikes, plastic entanglements, and warming waters are turning our coastline into a danger zone. And the toll isn’t just on the animals, it’s also on the dedicated volunteers who try to save them.

Rescue crews, like those with the Marine Mammal Center, are stretched to their limit. They’re responding to five or more calls every single day. Some carry sick sea lions in their arms, only to see them die hours later. Others wade into rough surf to try to free whales tangled in fishing lines.

These are everyday Californians doing extraordinary work, but they shouldn’t be doing it alone.

We’re calling on Governor Gavin Newsom, California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot, and the California State Legislature to:

• Declare a Marine Mammal Emergency Response Priority for the state
• Allocate emergency funding to help marine rescue organizations scale up staffing, supplies, and transport
• Expand support for ocean health monitoring and disease tracking

California has long led the way on environmental protection. But this crisis is unfolding in real time and it needs real action.

These animals can’t speak for themselves. It’s up to us to act before more are lost.

Photo: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times