Entangled Humpback Whale Cut Free From Dungeness Crab Gear in California
Surface temperatures are 3 to 4 degrees C above normal, NOAA said, as El Nino and toxic algae drive wildlife losses and push sharks closer to shore.
- Surface water temperatures along the California coast are now three to four degrees C above normal, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with the heat wave ongoing for "about six months," said Andrew Leising, a research oceanographer at NOAA.
- Scientists predict this El Nino could rank among the largest ever recorded, coinciding with the current heat wave. Elliott Hazen, an adjunct professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, noted that climate change is "adding more fuel to the fire."
- Harmful algae blooms containing domoic acid are contaminating anchovy and sardine populations, forcing marine mammals to seek cooler waters. Aquarium of the Pacific naturalist Lesser reported, "the number of whales and dolphins we're seeing is less than we would on a normal year."
- Warmer waters are pushing great white sharks closer to the California coast, fraying nerves in Huntington Beach and Malibu. "It's not common for us to see them," said Lesser, "but younger sharks like to be in warmer waters, and so we're seeing sharks closer to shore."
- "Chances are this El Nino is going to be stronger than the 2015-2016 one," Leising warned. Experts fear recurring heat waves could permanently disrupt the Pacific ecosystem, threatening fish species the Golden State relies on for food.
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The return of El Niño could aggravate the already abnormally high temperatures along the coast.
California’s ocean is up to 4°C hotter than normal; whales are disappearing, pelicans are starving and sharks are moving closer
The rising ocean temperatures off California's coast are creating serious repercussions for marine life. Whales are being pushed away from their traditional feeding zones, while seabird populations face starvation. Additionally, great white sharks are venturing closer to shore, posing risks to beachgoers. The rise in toxic algae blooms is further contaminating the ecosystem and impacting local fisheries, with these shifts connected to climate ch…
Early Birds Column: Why birders are spotting more brown pelicans in Metro Vancouver
A marine heat wave off the coast of California has disrupted brown pelican populations, which could be driving more sightings around Metro Vancouver. The Early Edition’s bi-weekly Early Birds columnist Khalid Boudreau introduces us to the very large water bird hanging out in southern B.C. waters.
Whales at risk, hungry pelicans: Marine heat wave hits California
On daily tourist boat trips, "the number of whales and dolphins we're seeing is less than we would on a normal year," Lesser, a 39-year-old naturalist at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, told AFP. The warming of the ocean surface is forcing anchovies and sardines -- which the mammals eat -- to seek cooler waters, either at deeper levels or farther north. Dolphins and whales "are going to follow their food, and so we're seeing less sigh…
The temperature of the ocean off the California coast is between three and four degrees above normal for almost six months. Dolphins, whales and sea lions already feel the impact.
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