Local lifeguards were kept busy this summer with not only swimmers, but a rash of beached animals due to domoic acid poisoning.
Labory Day weekend saw more than 500,000 visitors to Malibu beaches, escaping hot weather in the 100s in the Valley and inland cities. And although Malibu gets such large numbers of beachgoers, there has not been a drowning in the last decade.
Sea lions, seals and pelicans kept not only lifeguards busy but animal rescue workers as well, as numerous disoriented animals washed up on shore. Domoic acid, a naturally occuring toxin from algal blooms, is thought to be the cause of the poisonings. The algal blooms were larger than normal this summer.