Emaciated Pelicans Wander Monterey Bay Shores In Desperate Search For Food

MONTEREY BAY (KCBS)— First it was starving baby sea lions wandering ashore and now pelicans are turning up in some unusual places looking for food.

In the past month, several starving adult pelicans have turned up inland from the Monterey Bay. The birds appear to be emaciated and about half of them have died. Their bodies have been sent to state labs for testing.

No one seems to know why they're not getting enough food, but according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel, there could be a correlation between the pelicans and the starving sea lions.

Scientists say warming ocean waters in El Nino years have caused schooling fish (a main food source for both animals) to move farther away from the shoreline.