26 Sea Lion Bodies Found Along Beach
The bodies of 26 sea lions and one seal, most of them decomposed, washed ashore over the weekend, police said.
Dr. Aleta Hohn, a biologist with the La Jolla National Marine Fisheries Service, which does research on the status of marine mammals, said the animals were found on Navy and state property on Coronado beaches.
“Some of the animals looked like they had been shot, but, after a necropsy was done on four of the animals, no bullet holes were found,” Hohn said. “Birds sometimes peck at the animals, and the peck holes look like bullet holes.”
The federal organization had received reports Monday that some of the animals had been shot, Hohn said, adding that most of the animals may have become entangled in gill nets and died at sea before floating ashore.
Of the 80,000 sea lions off California, 4,000 are shot to death each year by commercial fishermen.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
