Thousands of sick sea lion pups are washing up ashore and dying along the California coast, with over 3,100 pups reportedly becoming stranded in 2015 so far — an amount greater than the reported strandings from 2004 to 2012 combined.Scientists believe that warming ocean temperatures and changes in availability of their prey are likely contributing to this unprecedented spike in deaths. And as sea lion mothers are forced to travel further offshore to find food, many pups are left to fend for themselves.In this excerpt, VICE News witnesses the California Wildlife Center's smallest and most frail sea lion pup as it learns how to eat a full fish.Watch "California's Sea Lion Die Off"This Infographic Illustrates California's Sea Lion CrisisRead "Thousands of Sick Sea Lion Pups Are Washing Up Along the California Coast"
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Nursing a Sea Lion Pup Back to Health (Excerpt from 'California’s Sea Lion Die-Off')
In this excerpt, VICE News witnesses the California Wildlife Center’s smallest and most frail sea lion pup as it learns how to eat a full fish.