Today's Animal in Need

(Learn more about our work and come visit!)

Every year, on average, we help approximately 600 distressed marine mammals, rescuing and rehabilitating them at our hospital facilities in the Marin Headlands.  

Our patients include include pinnipeds like California sea lions, northern elephant seals and harbor seals, as well as sea otters, whales, dolphins, porpoises, and even sea turtles.

We may have dozens of patients on site at any given time in various stages of treatment or rehabilitation.

The most common reasons these animals have been rescued and are under our care are:

• Malnutrition as a result of an ever-changing shift in the ocean food chain, becoming separated from mom during weaning, or illness
• Illnesses such as toxic algae poisoning, bacterial infections and even skin disease
• Entanglements in ocean trash
• Gunshots
• Boat strikes
• Shark bites

The Marine Mammal Center - learn more at their website or FB page.