As El Niño arrives, help protect our coastal wildlife. Creative Commons
The Aquarium of the Pacific is informing the public, as Southern California’s coastal waters continue to warm this summer due to an existing marine heatwave and now a predicted strong El Niño, you may see animals that are sick, injured or deceased.
To help rescue these animals, keep a safe distance and take action by alerting those who are trained to help by calling one of the resources below.
Los Angeles County
Whales & Dolphins / Contact
Injured: entangled – NOAA’s entanglement reporting hotline: 877-767-9425
Injured: oiled – Oiled Wildlife Care Network: 877-823-6926
Deceased – Ocean Animal Response and Research Alliance (OARRA): 949-276-2237
Seals & Sea Lions / Contact
Sick, injured, abandoned, entangled, stranded – Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles: 800-399-4253
Injured: oiled – Oiled Wildlife Care Network: 877-823-6926
Deceased – Ocean Animal Response and Research Alliance (OARRA): 949-276-2237
Birds / Contact
Injured or entangled: IBRRC Bird Helpline: 866-767-2473
Injured or oiled: Oiled Wildlife Care Network: 877-823-6926
Deceased: CA Dept of Health’s West Nile Virus Hotline: 877-968-2473
Sea Turtles / Contact
Injured or entangled: NOAA Sea Turtle Stranding Hotline: 562-506-4315
Injured or oiled: Oiled Wildlife Care Network: 877-823-6926
Deceased: Ocean Animal Response and Research Alliance (OARRA): 949-276-2237
Other
Sighting / Contact
Poachers or polluters – CALTIP – Californians Turn in Poachers and Polluters: 888-334-2258
Dead, injured, or stranded marine mammal
along the West Coast – West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network: 866-767-6114
Jellies or sharks – Inform the local lifeguard responsible for that beach. Sea jellies can sting, even when deceased.
Warming waters may also bring tropical species to Southern California.
If you see marine animals that seem unusual for Southern California, the Aquarium would like to know. As long as it is safe, please take and send us a picture or send the aquarium a description of the animal, location, and date to aquariumofpacific@lbaop.org.
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