‘It gets worse every day’: why are sea lions and dolphins dying along California’s coast?

The unprecedented outbreak has scientists concerned as record number of animals turn up lifeless on beaches

On a recent morning on Leadbetter State Beach in Santa Barbara, a California Sea Lion puppy, weighing about 30 or 40lbs, lay dead in the sand.

It’s the latest victim in what scientists and rescue organizations have described as an unprecedented event along the California coastline.