Sea lions usually live in the ocean. So why are so many showing up on land?
Whether it's caused by El Niño or climate change, things aren't looking so great for some of our favorite marine mammals.
A week ago, a seal lion pup wandered into a fancy California restaurant.
It was an adorable story of a wayward pup at The Marine Room in La Jolla, California.
But it turns out the pup, nicknamed Marina, wasn't looking for hot brunch spot; she was looking for help.
When sea lions can't find food, they're forced to make their way to the shore to prevent from drowning. Sadly, on shore, there's not exactly a huge supply of food awaiting them, either.
Over the past few years, an inexplicably high number of malnourished sea lions have been washing up on California's shores, and nobody really knows what to do.
So far this year, 40 sea lions have been rescued in the San Diego area alone. Last year, nearly 1,000 washed ashore. Some suspect it has to do with El Niño, which has warmed the water and wiped out the sea lions' food supply — anchovies, sardines, herring salmon, and plankton that are dying off — but this issue has been building for the past several years.
According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, the number of sea lions stranded ashore is 20 times higher than it was a decade ago. That's not good, and it's a sign that this is a much larger issue than simply El Niño.
Climate change plays a big role in this potentially devastating problem.
If we want a long-term solution, we need to address climate change.
If you've been looking for a reason to care about climbing temperatures, how about for the well-being of the adorable sea lions?
Marina's story had a happy ending, but there are thousands of other sea lions still in need. Here's hoping they get help.
The poor little pup was starving. Luckily, Marine Room manager Matt Caponi and employees were quick to get the 8-month-old the help she needed, calling a SeaWorld rescue team. The sea lion has been given some food, shelter, and is expected to make a full recovery.
Doctor blows minds by explaining why when your stomach growls it isn't always hunger
Stomach myth debunked.
A woman holds her stomach.
Just about everyone has had that embarrassing moment when their stomach growls super loud in a quiet room with a group of people. Whether it’s a business meeting or a lecture at school, someone always sarcastically comments, “Somebody’s hungry.”
The funny thing is that even though a growling stomach seems like a tell-tale sign that you’re hungry, that’s not the reason why sometimes you can hear it rumble.
Dr. Karan Raj recently explained what happens when your stomach growls in a TikTok video with over 1.9 million views. Dr. Karan Rajan is an NHS surgeon and one of social media's most popular health and science creators.
He starts the video by debunking one of the major myths about stomach growls: that it's not your stomach. In fact, “it’s actually your intestines,” Dr. Raj revealed. “Specifically, your small intestine.”
The big takeaway is that your intestines are constantly “contracting and squeezing digested food, called chyme, through your internal plumbing.” He likens it to squeezing a toothpaste tube to get the last drop out. “It happens 24/7,” the doctor noted. “Most of the time, you can’t hear it unless you’re listening with a stethoscope.”
So why is it that sometimes everyone can hear this process? “The reason why people think [hearing a stomach rumble] means you’re hungry is because it’s typically a lot louder when your digestive system is empty,” Dr. Raj shared.
While many people appreciated the explanation, some were pretty grossed out about learning the truth. “Thank you for this information; it makes me so uncomfortable. I might cry, but it’s so interesting!”Arantzi wrote.