“Ort, ort” That’s the sound of sea lions. In my family, we’ve taken to calling them orts (which also means if we’re not sure from a distance whether it’s a sea lion or a seal, ort works for either).

Today while walking on our usual beach, we encountered this sea lion…who almost seemed to pose as I worked to capture this photo.

Unfortunately, this beautiful animal was probably this close to shore because it is experiencing negative effects from the algae bloom along the coast. I just heard a news report on our local NPR station explaining that the algae bloom produces a neurotoxin that harms sea life. Sea World has been rescuing sea lions and trying to save them.

I loved getting to watch this sea lion up close and was happy that it didn’t seem to be beached. When I stopped to photograph, it was swimming in the waves and walking along the shore–which also let me try my hand at some action photography. On my way back, I noticed it out a bit further in the water–I hope that is a good sign!

Algae blooms have become a regular occurrence on our beaches. At worst, we experience lots of sea life deaths. At best, we get spectacular bioluminescence displays where the beach lights up at night as the waves crash.

I’m grateful to live where I get to experience nature’s wonder and beauty…and understand that there will be some bad things that come with the spectacular sightings. I also know that it is important to protect our natural resources–and foster a love for nature and help children learn to take care of these spaces.

Yesterday a sea star, today an ort…what will tomorrow bring?