Sea Lions Return to Ocean as LA Ends Record-Breaking Toxic Algae Crisis

Venice Beach Celebrates End of Toxic Algae Bloom with Sea Lion Release Los Angeles, CA – Wednesday marked a significant milestone for Los Angeles as the city celebrated the end of its longest-ever toxic domoic acid outbreak. The occasion was marked by a heartwarming event: the release of several sea lion pups back into the ocean near Venice Beach. While the released pups were unaffected by the domoic acid, city officials and the Marine Mammal Care Center (MMCC) emphasized the importance of returning them to safer waters. The unprecedented toxic algae bloom, typically starting in June, arrived several months early this year. This early onset resulted in a devastating impact on marine wildlife, causing seizures and deaths among thousands of sea lions, dolphins, pelicans, and even whales. "Over the past several months, Southern California, with LA County being the epicenter, has experienced the worst stranding event due to domoic acid toxicosis that we've ever had before, beating the record in 2023," stated John Warner, CEO of MMCC. The sheer scale of the crisis is staggering. In the first four months of 2025 alone, MMCC fielded over 8,000 hotline calls, responded to over 1,000 stranded animals, and rescued and treated more than 500. The successful release of the sea lion pups symbolizes not only the end of this devastating outbreak but also the tireless efforts of rescue organizations and city officials in protecting Southern California's precious marine ecosystem.