In early 2015, starving sea pups started washing up on California beaches at more than 10 times the usual rate, setting rescue staff into a frenzy and overwhelming facilities. Scientists attributed the record number of strandings to an unprecedented marine heat wave off the West Coast of the United States. Nicknamed “the blob” for its large size and shape, the heat wave encompassed over 10 million square kilometers―easily the largest heat wave in recorded history. | 
