A warm water “blob” in 2014 forced sea lion mothers to forage further from their rookeries in the Channel Islands off Southern California. Hungry pups set out on their own, but many became stranded on area beaches. NOAA Fisheries photo and caption.

A warm water “blob” in 2014 forced sea lion mothers to forage further from their rookeries in the Channel Islands off Southern California. Hungry pups set out on their own, but many became stranded on area beaches. NOAA Fisheries photo and caption.