A sick California sea lion sits in a crate after being rescued on August 20, 2025, in Pebble Beach, California. The Marine Mammal Center is seeing an unprecedented surge of sick California sea lions, a vast majority infected with leptospirosis, a disease that can cause irreversible kidney damage. The Marine Mammal Center has seen over 100 sea lions with leptospirosis since July 1, and nearly two-thirds have not survived. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
