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Marine Mammal Care

Report an Animal

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To report sick, injured or abandoned seals or sea lions, call our toll-free hotline 1-800-39-WHALE

To report birds, sea turtles or dead marine mammals, see details below

Learn more about Sharing the Shore and dolphin strandings

The Marine Mammal Care Center rescues more marine mammals per mile of coastline than any other organization in the United States.

To report a live marine mammal in need:

  • In Los Angeles County, excluding Malibu: call the Marine Mammal Care Center’s toll-free hotline at 1-800-39-WHALE.
  • In Malibu, contact the California Wildlife Center at (310) 458-9453.

Your call matters: Thanks to caring people like you, the Marine Mammal Care Center responds to upwards of 900 reports annually of sea lions, elephant seals, fur seals, harbor seals, dolphins and whales in distress, and has treated more than 10,000 marine mammals since 1992.

The Marine Mammal Care Center is part of NOAA’s West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network and is proud to collaborate with local partners who rescue and rehabilitate wildlife.

To report a live sea turtle, contact the Marine Mammal Care Center’s toll-free hotline at 1-800-39-WHALE. In Malibu, contact the California Wildlife Center at (310) 458-9453.

To report a dead marine mammal or a dead sea turtle, contact the Ocean Animal Response and Research Alliance (OARRA) stranding hotline at 949-276-2237. In Malibu, contact the California Wildlife Center at (310) 458-9453.

To report an entangled whale, call NOAA’s entanglement reporting hotline at 1-877-SOS-WHALE or hail the U.S. Coast Guard on VHF Channel 16.

To report a bird or other animal, please refer to the contacts below based on the location of the bird or animal you are reporting:

  • City of Los Angeles (including San Pedro, Terminal Island, Whitepoint/Royal Palms): Los Angeles Animal Services – 888-452-7381
  • City of Santa Monica: Animal Control – 310-458-8595
  • City of El Segundo: Animal Control – 310-524-2231
  • City of Manhattan Beach: Animal Control – 310-802-5159
  • City of Hermosa Beach: Animal Control – 310-524-2750
  • City of Redondo Beach: Animal Control – 310-379-5411
  • City of Torrance: Animal Control – 310-618-3850
  • City of Long Beach: Animal Control – 562-570-7387
  • Los Angeles County (including Malibu, Marina del Rey, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes): Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control – 562-940-6898

Still not sure? Use the Los Angeles County Animal Care Service Area Locator.

Share the Shore

Although seals and sea lions spend much of their lives in the ocean, they come ashore to rest, regulate their body temperature and care for their young. While mothers feed out at sea, they leave their pups on the beach and may abandon them if humans or pets get too close. 

You Can Make a Difference by Sharing the Shore Responsibly

Give seals and sea lions space. Never approach a marine mammal on the shore. Try to maintain at least 50 feet of distance to avoid disturbing resting animals.

Use the zoom on your camera or cellphone. Take photos from afar rather than approaching for a selfie. You’re too close if you see the animal start to react to your presence.

Keep pets away and on a leash. Pets can disturb or injure marine mammals, and can separate mothers from their pups. These wild animals can also injure your pet or spread disease.

Call the experts. If you see a marine mammal that looks sick or injured, do not approach it. Call 1-800-39-WHALE to report your location and our rescue team will come to help.

Your calls and your actions and save animals’ lives.

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