Help Protect Coastal Wildlife

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.