Bird Flu Outbreak at Popular California Wildlife Destination Spreads to Sea Otter and Sea Lion
A recent outbreak of avian influenza along the Northern California coast is now affecting multiple marine species, raising new concerns for wildlife researchers.
Scientists monitoring Año Nuevo State Park say the virus—commonly known as bird flu—has been confirmed in 16 northern elephant seals in the area. Fourteen of those animals have died. In the past several days, researchers also confirmed that a sea otter and a sea lion at the park died after contracting the virus.
The illness is linked to the highly contagious H5N1 strain of avian influenza, which has been spreading among birds globally and occasionally jumping to mammals.
The discovery comes during the peak elephant seal viewing season. Each winter, thousands of the massive marine mammals return to the beaches at Año Nuevo to breed, molt, and give birth, drawing tens of thousands of visitors from around the world between December and March.
While the outbreak has raised alarms, scientists say the spread remains relatively limited so far. Cases appear to be concentrated around Año Nuevo and have not been detected in other major Northern California elephant seal colonies, including those at Point Reyes National Seashore or near Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery.
Out of caution, park officials have closed public access to elephant seal viewing areas and canceled guided tours for the remainder of the season while scientists continue to monitor the situation.
Researchers believe the virus may have spread from infected birds that frequent the rocky shoreline and nearby islands. Health officials emphasize that the risk to people remains extremely low. Still, visitors are urged to avoid approaching marine mammals or birds on beaches and to keep pets leashed.
Despite the outbreak, biologists say thousands of animals in the region appear healthy. Researchers are continuing to track the situation closely in hopes that the virus will fade without spreading further along the coast.
