PORT SAN LUIS - Each day, a few more dead or injured pelicans are spotted at Port San Luis.
But over the weekend, investigators may have an answer to who or what is causing the peril surrounding these birds: sea lions.
Department of Fish and Game Officials made the revelation this weekend, when new evidence surfaced at Port San Luis.
It was there that some weekend kayakers saw pelicans dive down to catch fish and then watched sea lions surface, grab the birds, and pull them under the water.
The pelicans either disappeared or resurfaced and flew away with visible injuries.
Wildlife experts say pelicans are known to frequent Port San Luis this time of year, as are sea lions.
And both species are after the same schools of bait fish.
Department of Fish and Game Warden Ryan Hanson says, "The Pelicans dive down on the fish, sea lions come up, so obviously the fish are in a great amount of trouble, so It's kind of a clash between the two species there so with the limited food there, the sea lions are becoming very aggressive."
Pacific Wildlife Care in Morro Bay has rescued some of the injured birds.
Two of them could not be saved, however, and were euthanized.
Those birds will undergo necropsies.
Based on the injuries, and possibly teeth marks, Fish and Game Investigators should be able to determine if sea lions are in fact to blame.
On Monday, Fish and Game officials told Your Central Coast News that wildlife experts at other agencies across the state have been contacted.
Those experts have seen the same type of activity involving pelicans and sea lions.
