Based on the December 23, 2024 newscast reported and produced by Michelle Blackwell
Hundreds of marine mammals are stranded on the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington each year. Last week, Sarah Grimes, Marine Mammal Stranding Coordinator for Noyo Center for Marine Science, reported on strandings on Mendocino County beaches in 2024.
Among the center’s most notable cases this year was a juvenile female fin whale, an endangered species. First spotted between Ward Avenue and Ten Mile River, the whale later washed ashore again at Ward Avenue. Evidence suggested a ship strike, a leading cause of fin whale deaths. According to NOAA, between 43 and 95 fin whales die annually from ship strikes, with an estimated Pacific coast population of 11,000.
The Noyo Center also documented 40 pinnipeds, three dolphins, and one porpoise in 2024. An unusual trend was the stranding of striped dolphins, a warm-water species rarely seen near Mendocino. "Most have been deceased when they strand, but we did sadly have a live stranding recently,” Grimes said. Sadly, the dolphin didn’t survive transport to the Marine Mammal Center.
California sea lions, a critical indicator species, revealed troubling environmental patterns. Sue Pemberton, a stranding coordinator for the Bay Area, highlighted underweight pups resulting from prolonged maternal foraging trips. "What we saw this year was the California sea lion pups that we were seeing were probably about 20 to 25 centimeters shorter than they normally are," she said. Premature sea lion births were reported across rookeries from Northern California to Mexico. “It was a dystopian scene, aerial photos of dead pups all over the beach and no, no known cause,” she said.
Pelicans also faced hardships, struggling to catch fish that swam deeper in colder waters. “If you picture a pelican diving and not quite being able to get to fish that are hanging out deeper because it's colder," Grimes said. “We did so many rescues on these very skinny little yearling California sea lions, and then there were all these pelicans, and it was like there's food out there, but they're not getting it.”
Since 2014, the Noyo Center has documented 18 whale strandings, eight dolphins, six porpoises, and hundreds of pinnipeds, including California sea lions and various seal species. Before the center’s establishment, stranded animals on Mendocino beaches relied on rescue teams from Humboldt or Sonoma counties.
Beyond mammals, the Noyo Center recorded large strandings of by-the-wind sailors and pink sea pickles, planktonic organisms brought ashore by wind currents. Each stranding, whether a massive fin whale or tiny plankton, contributes to a broader understanding of ocean health.
Reflecting on the center’s decade of operation, Grimes emphasized the importance of these efforts. "Every case holds crucial information that can further scientific research or educate the public," she said.