examine it. >> the company downgrading the amount of oil that leaked. let's turn to abc's brandi hitt with more. >> reporter: these are the lives rescue teams are desperately trying to save. pelicans coated in oil. the dark toxic sludge covering a baby elephant seal's face. this sea lion died over the weekend. >> that's when the emotion starts to come in. >> reporter: it's believed up to 101,000 gallons of oil spilled from this ruptured pipeline last week in santa barbara. experts say injured wildlife swimming through the spill are now showing up as far as 50 miles away. >> we have more than 800 people working together to approach this response from the land, sea, and air. >> reporter: volunteers are now being trained so they can join clean-up crews racing to remove oil from these once pristine beaches. >> my family has been all along this coast and always been on the ocean, you know. that's where i grew up.