Marine debris, or ocean trash includes everyday things from sandwic bags to cigarette butts. Many times this debris can resemble natural food items which animals accidentally eat, causing intestinal blockage, injury, starvation, or death. Marine debris also entangles an enormous amount of wildlife leaving them with infections from cuts or severed limbs. Almost 50% of all marine mammal and sea bird species ingest or are entangled in pollution every year.
Wild seals and sea lions have coexisted with humans, but only recently have we been seeing trends of habituation. Under no circumstances, should humans feed wild marine mammals. Not only is it illegal due to the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, but it is also dangerous to humans and to the animal itself. Animals that become desensitized to humans can alter their original behavior and stop hunting effectively, ultimately relying solely on humans for their survival.
Rehabilitation
When a "patient" is admitted to our facility, our staff performs all necessary procedures under the direction and protocols set by the Animal Care Director and our Veterinary Medical Director. During the course of rehabilitation, animals require a variety of treatments such as administration of antibiotics and subcutaneous fluids, tube feeding, force feeding, wound care, etc.
Most animals come in dehydrated and the most effective means to provide fluids and nourishment is through tube feeding. This process requires blending fish, electrolytes, warm water, vitamins, and medication into a fish formula. This formula is fed to the animals by inserting a flexible tube into the stomach using a large syringe. Once animals are hydrated and stable, they are weaned to eat whole fish.
Release
Once an animal has gained an optimal weight and is competing for food, it is ready for release. Each animal is tagged with an identification number that is color-coded to indicate where the animal has been rehabilitated. Our orange tag is placed on the front flipper for sea lions and on the hind flippers for seals. It is also placed on the left flippers for males and on the right flipper for females, because “women are always right!” This tag helps identify the specific animal and care center in case the animal re-strands or needs care in the future. We strive to return every one of our patients back to the wild once their care with us is complete.
Research
An important part of marine mammal recovery is ongoing research. Research is currently being done to find the pathological conditions that affect the marine mammals of Southern California. Some of our animals are satellite tagged which provides us with valuable information, e.g. where the animal is swimming, how deep are they diving, how cold is the water, etc. Only through this research are we able to discover the cause-effect relationships that can help us to understand the best means to rehabilitate our marine mammal patients.
Our Facility
FAQS
Our facility can house a maximum of 125 animals at a time. We usually hit this quota around mid-April, just before pupping season, so throughout the summer we are continuously taking in sick pups and releasing healthy ones daily. Our most common patient is the California sea lion, Zalophus californianus (about 90% of all admitted patients). However, we also treat three other species native to California: Pacific harbor seals, Phoca vitulina, Northern elephant seals, Mirounga angustirostris, and Northern fur seals, Callorhinus ursinus.
Volunteer
Our facility is run by a staff of over 100 volunteers! Our volunteers are the backbone of our operation and commit thousands of hours to caring for our patients, educating community, maintaining our facilities, and raising funds to support our daily operations. Learn more about volunteer opportunities and requirements by visiting our website at: http://www.pacificmmc.org/volunteer-opportunities.
Education
PMMC also offers a wide range of educational programs for groups of all ages. Currently, we offer field trips, girl scout programs, grant funded programs for schools, after school programs for kids, summer camp, and community outreach. We are launching our Change the Life of a Seal Program November 1st which allows students to fundraise throughout the school year to help buy food, water, and medicine for our pinniped patients. Participating classrooms earn incentives as they hit monetary milestones and the top earning classrooms are invited to watch a sea lion release!
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