Pacific Marine Mammal Center

Animal Care

PMMC’s Animal Care Team is composed of more than 100 highly trained volunteers who, under the guidance of our veterinary and animal care staff, provide high quality care to our patients from rescue to release. The majority of our patients suffer directly or indirectly from human caused illnesses or injuries. The most common causes include starvation due to ocean warming and decreased prey availability, entanglement in fishing gear and ocean trash, impacts from harmful algal blooms, and cancer due to contaminants in the marine environment. PMMC’s unique access to these critically ill and injured marine mammals also allows us to provide hands-on teaching and training opportunities. To facilitate this, we have created a Marine Mammal Teaching Hospital, and have created a variety of externships, internships, and fellowships to help expand our reach past our patients and into the future of marine mammal conservation.

Education

Education focused on marine science and conservation has always been a cornerstones of PMMC. Our staff and volunteer docents and teachers educate approximately 36,000 children and adults through a range of online and onsite programs, and outreaches on marine mammals, marine science, and ocean stewardship. PMMC also offers free specialty programming for title I schools, at risk youth, and children’s hospitals. Our visitor yard, which is free, welcomes approximately 40,000 visitors annually and provides education through our very knowledgeable docents, as well as interactive exhibits covering our marine mammal rescue, rehabilitation and release, marine mammal life history and ecology, and all aspects of ocean conservation, including the impact of humans. We also offer leadership development and internship opportunities to both teens and college students in order to mentor the next generation of marine scientists.