Don Barrett (aka DBs travels)'s photos with the keyword: Marine Mammal Center

This seal/sea lion had pneumonia and had to be hand fed. Per the docent it was recovering well and its prognosis was good, but due to the amount of human contact required in its care, it would be donated to a zoo or similar sanctuary rather than re-released to the wild. I’ve taken friends to the center probably 7 or 8 times over the past 30 years. Visiting there is always a mix of a sad and positive experience. Sad because of the constant reminders of all of the stupidity we humans do that result in these animals becoming patients, but positive because of the evidence of continued volunteering to assist the animals AND contributing to result in a well-run center.

Not terribly visible due to the caging, but a rescued seal or sea lion. He/she was being transferred to the enclosure while we were there. He/she had been saved and stabilized at another smaller facility further down the coast, but was transferred to the Marin facility for longer term care. The Center ‘rescues and rehabilitates sick and injured marine mammals’. When I first visited the center some time in the 1980’s it was much less structured and it was possible to walk among the pools where patients were being rehabilitated. While that openness gave a strong sense of the work done at the Center, I’m sure that the close proximity of humans and patients was detrimental to the health of the patients. www.marinemammalcenter.org

Not terribly visible due to the caging, but a rescued seal or sea lion. He/she was being transferred to the enclosure while we were there. He/she had been saved and stabilized at another smaller facility further down the coast, but was transferred to the Marin facility for longer term care. The Center ‘rescues and rehabilitates sick and injured marine mammals’. When I first visited the center some time in the 1980’s it was much less structured and it was possible to walk among the pools where patients were being rehabilitated. While that openness gave a strong sense of the work done at the Center, I’m sure that the close proximity of humans and patients was detrimental to the health of the patients. www.marinemammalcenter.org

At The Marine Mammal Center at Fort Cronkhite, an artistic representation of the 450 pounds of ‘ghost netting’ that had been ingested by a 51-foot whale, killing it.

At The Marine Mammal Center at Fort Cronkhite, an artistic representation of the 450 pounds of ‘ghost netting’ that had been ingested by a 51-foot whale, killing it.

Sgt. Nevis's companions in the cage, sea lions Breadstick (also shot, in the eye) and Lightyear.

The large sea lion here was named Sgt. Nevis by the center. It had been shot by a fisherman and was discovered in late November, in the Sacramento Delta, dying. After 4 efforts they managed to rescue the 358 pound sea lion. Latest information was that he was recovering well but may not be released back into the wild due to the injuries and that he had become habituated to living in a dangerous area near downtown Sacramento.

Close up of the Marine Mammal Center. When I first visited the center many years ago, it was a small and very informal operation housed mostly in trailers. At that time you could walk among the cages of animals that had been rescured. It's now a much larger and established organization, and you can no longer walk among the cages. While the intimacy of that earlier and more informal experience created a strong empathy for the plight of the animals, this more formal environment is actually better for the animals' health and recovery. ( www.marinemammalcenter.org )

Rodeo Lagoon, Fort Cronkhite, and the Marine Mammal center (the grey buildings higher on the hillside towards the center of the picture.)