Ventura Oil Seepage Leaves Hundreds of Birds Stranded and Oiled

As of November 7th, 2025, a California bird rescue center is facing an influx of oiled birds along the Ventura coast, where a suspected natural oil seepage is primarily affecting a specific waterbird species.

In the last 3 days, the International Bird Rescue center in San Pedro has taken in 97 oiled birds from the Ventura and Santa Barbara areas, where natural oil seepage is a common occurrence. The affected birds are Western Grebes, a species known for its distinctive black and white feathers, long pointy bills, and red eyes.

The rescue center's CEO, JD Bergeron, is urging beachgoers to be on the lookout for these distressed, beached birds, as their chances of survival quickly diminish without prompt intervention. "Within literally a couple of days, their chance of survival will be very much dependent on people recognizing the problem and picking them up," Bergeron said.

While the authorities continue to investigate the source of the oil seepage, the nonprofit rescue center is absorbing the costs to care for the affected birds. This includes a thorough washing process, drying, and waterproofing, as many of the birds also suffer from lacerations on their feet from being stranded on the beach.

The rescue center is relying on the public's support to help them manage the influx of oiled birds, which they expect could reach a similar scale to a "mystery goo" spill that occurred 10 years ago in Northern California, costing them over $230,000 to care for more than 200 birds.