Sea lion at SF's Crissy Field dies after appearing to be in distress

(KRON)– A sea lion that appeared to be sick and in distress at San Francisco's Crissy Field has died, according to Marine Mammal Center. In videos obtained by KRON4, the sea lion can be seen swaying its head back and forth, then laying down on a log, appearing sick. Sea lion in distress at Crissy Field. Sea lion in distress at Crissy Field. Sea lion in distress at Crissy Field. In the video, the large animal can be seen lying on the sand, very close to beachgoers. The Marine Mammal Center said they have sent a responder to Crissy Field to educate people nearby about what is happening to the sea lion and how to stay safe in the vicinity of wildlife. They also said the responder on scene will be making sure that the sick sea lion has enough space from the public until they can safely take it to the hospital for care. 'Since this is a larger animal, rescue will require several of our trained responders, and we are preparing an adequate team to hopefully bring this animal in to care at our Sausalito hospital later today,' said a spokesperson from the Marine Mammal Center. Although the cause of the sea lion's death has yet to be officially confirmed, there have been many similar incidents where sea lions show similar symptoms due to domoic acid poisoning, a naturally occurring toxin produced by algae that can build up in fish and shellfish eaten by marine mammals. The Marine Mammal Center said it has responded to an unusually high number of cases, with more than 100 sea lions rescued since the beginning of the year, with the majority occurring since July 1.