Animals of the California oil spill
When a pipeline ruptures and an oil spills occurs, the environment isn't the only victim. Countless animals -- unaware that their habitat has been sullied -- unknowingly swim, fly and walk into danger. As a result, these sort of manmade environmental emergencies often result in "all hands on deck" responses from animal advocates, rushing in to clean and rehabilitate the sickened creatures before it's too late.
Here, personnel from SeaWorld San Diego pitch in to clean and care for a sea lion pup, affected by the Santa Barbara Oil Spill.
Animals of the oil spill
Volunteers and staff from the International Bird Rescue use a toothbrush and soap to clean oil off a Brown Pelican in the San Pedro area of Los Angeles, May 22, 2015. The bird was one of eight rescued after being covered in oil from the Refugio Oil Spill, days before.
Oil-covered pelicans, dead lobsters and other marine life have been recovered from the area, where a nine-mile long oil spill closed two beaches normally crowded with tourists this time of year.
Oil-soaked sea lion
SeaWorld San Diego animal care specialists Tiffany Fisher, Nick Northcraft and Jody Westberg wash a sea lion affected by the Santa Barbara oil spill at SeaWorld San Diego's Oiled Wildlife Care Center in California, May 21, 2015.
The animal's condition is guarded, as the team works to keep him hydrated and wash all the oil off of his skin.
Oil-covered lobster
An oil-covered lobster lies dead on the beach, after an oil spill north of Goleta, California, May 20, 2015.
A ruptured pipeline along the scenic California coastline leaked more than 100,000 gallons of crude oil, with at least 21,000 gallons dumped into the ocean, creating a nine mile slick before it could be secured, May 19, 2015.
Animals of the oil spill
An octopus spattered in oil lies along the coast of Refugio State Beach in Goleta, California, May 20, 2015, after a pipeline ruptured along the scenic California coastline the day before.
Sea life affected by oil spill
A dead lobster and sea anemone are seen in an oil-filled tide pool, just north of Goleta, California, May 20, 2015.
At least 21,000 gallons of oil of the more than 100,000 gallons leaked, spilled from an abandoned pipeline into the Pacific Ocean near Refugio State Beach, the day before.
Animals of the oil spill
Staff members and volunteers work to clean oil off a Brown Pelican at the International Bird Rescue office in the San Pedro area of Los Angeles, May 22, 2015; three days after an onshore pipeline near Santa Barbara leaked oil.
Five dead oil-soaked pelicans, the first bird fatalities from the spill, were reported by authorities May 22, 2015.
Animals of the oil spill
California mussels and a crab are discovered drowning in the oil that overwhelmed Refugio State Beach, May 21, 2015.
At that point, more than 7,700 gallons of oil had been raked, skimmed and vacuumed from the Plains All American Pipeline spill that stretched across nine miles of California coast. However, officials say it's just a fraction of the sticky, stinking goo that escaped from the broken pipeline that caused the spill.
Animals of the oil spill
A bird covered in oil spreads its wings as it sits on a rock near Refugio State Beach in Goleta, California, May 22, 2015.
California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a State of Emergency after over 100,000 gallons of oil spilled from a nearby abandoned pipeline, spreading over about nine miles of beach within hours.
The largest oil spill to ever occur in U.S. waters occurred in this same section of coastline, back in 1969.
Animals of the oil spill
A clean up worker holds a box of sea creatures killed by an oil slick along the coast of Refugio State Beach in Goleta, California, May 21, 2015.
As much as 2,500 barrels of crude oil gushed onto San Refugio State Beach and into the Pacific west of Santa Barbara, when an underground pipeline running parallel to a coastal highway burst, on the morning of May 19, 2015.
Animals of the oil spill
Members of SeaWorld's Rescue Team work to clean a California sea lion affected by the Santa Barbara oil spill, at SeaWorld San Diego's Oiled Wildlife Care Center, May 22, 2015.
Here, they wash off the animal's back flipper, while keeping her hydrated.
Animals of the oil spill
A shrimp covered in oil is seen along the coast of Refugio State Beach in Goleta, California, May 20, 2015.
Animals of the oil spill
SeaWorld San Diego animal care specialist Nick Northcraft washes a sea lion affected by the Santa Barbara oil spill at SeaWorld San Diego's Oiled Wildlife Care Center in California, May 22, 2015.
Animals of the oil spill
A pelican covered in oil is seen along the coast of Refugio State Beach in Goleta, California, May 20, 2015.
Animals of the oil spill
A clean up volunteer holds an octopus covered in oil in Goleta, California, May 20, 2015.
Fish suffer from CA oil spill
A fish covered in oil is seen along the coast of Refugio State Beach in Goleta, California, May 20, 2015.
Animals of the oil spill
A bird covered in oil flies over an oil slick along the coast of Refugio State Beach in Goleta, California, May 20, 2015.
Animals of the oil spill
Crews clean the sand and oil covered rocks near Refugio State Beach on the Californian coast, May 21, 2015, as a local pelican unknowingly flies across the tainted waters in the foreground.
An oil pipeline that burst along the California coast, fouling pristine beaches and stretches of ocean near Santa Barbara, is believed to have spilled more than 100,000 gallons of crude petroleum, about five times more than initially estimated, the pipeline company said.
Animals of the oil spill
A California Brown Pelican and sea lion unknowingly fish in water contaminated by the inland oil spill near Refugio State Beach, May 20, 2015
Animals of the oil spill
A lobster covered in oil is seen along the coast of Refugio State Beach in Goleta, California, May 20, 2015.
Animals of the oil spill
An offshore oil drilling rig is seen at sea, as a Brown Pelican flies over the oil slick at Refugio State Beach in Goleta, California, May 19, 2015.
Animals of the oil spill
A sea lion swims in oil-contaminated water near Refugio State Beach, May 21, 2015... a microcosm of the larger environmental problem now at hand in California.
Animals of the oil spill
California sea lions jump out of the water at Refugio State Beach on May 22, 2015. A State of Emergency was declared in the area, just a few hours earlier.
It's difficult to determine the full extent of the damage done to the area's wildlife population as yet. The toll from past oil spills lead wildlife experts to fear a greater disaster in the making.
