The weather simply doesn’t get better than it did today! It started off so foggy and then it was bright sun and 78 degrees! It was perfect. Of course it brought all the people out to the beach.

This week, I headed south to the Laguna Beach area. With this nice weather, I wasn’t brave enough to go to the heart of town but on the road between Irvine and Laguna Beach is the Pacific Marine Mammal Center.

Nestled along the road in the hills of Laguna is the Pacific Marine Mammal Center which is a nonprofit organization staffed by dedicated volunteers and funded by donations. Its mission is to: rescue, medically treat and rehabilitate marine mammals that are stranded along Orange County, California beaches due to injury or illness; release healthy animals back to their natural habitat; and increase public awareness of the marine environment through education and research.

Unlike whales and dolphins, seals and sea lions don't have to remain in water in order to survive. The animals beach themselves to be warm and dry when feeling ill. They seek rest on land for a variety of reasons and are not always in need of intervention. The staff is trained to recognize animals suffering from infections, malnourishment, pneumonia, gill net strangulation, etc. which can harm an animal's chance for survival.

When a "patient" is admitted, the staff performs all necessary procedures under the direction and protocols set by the Animal Care Director and our Veterinary Medical Director. During the course of rehabilitation, animals require a variety of treatments such as administration of antibiotics and subcutaneous fluids, tube feeding, force feeding, wound care, etc. Most animals come in dehydrated and the most effective means to provide fluids and nourishment is through tube feeding. The process requires blending of fish, electrolytes, warm water, vitamins, and medication into a fish formula. This formula is fed to the animals by inserting a flexible tube into the stomach using large syringes. As soon as the animals are hydrated and stable, we wean them to eat whole fish.

Once an animal has gained an optimal weight and is competing for food, it's ready for release. Prior to release, each animal is tagged with an identification number. The color-coded tags indicate the animal has been rehabilitated and helps identify the specific animal and care center in case the animal needs care in the future. The team at Pacific Marine Mammal Center strive to return every one of our patients back to the wild once their care with us is complete.

There is an old barn converted into an education area where one can learn more about seal and sea lions as well as some of the dangers of our environment that lead the seals to getting sick. Some of the seal are victims of sea nets, litter, trash, and even human brutality.

Out back behind the barn are many swimming pools enclosed by cages which house the seals and sea lions. They are wonderful to watch, especially once they start feeling better!

The staff there were excellent and approachable and was told by one of the workers, “Sometimes the problem might be environmental: shark bites, naturally occurring outbreaks of viruses and diseases, or bad storm swells that wash sea lion pups off their nursery sites, called rookeries. Sometimes the problem is caused by people: animals come into the Center with fishing hooks stuck in their skin and mouths, entangled in fishing line and net or, in extreme cases, the animal may have been shot. However, more often we find a malnourished pup that is of a weaned age. Because they are malnourished, they are unable to successfully fight ailments such as respiratory infections or parasites.”

The program began nearly 40 years ago by a life guard who helped an sick sea lion along the shore. One thing led to another and the program has been growing since.

So if you find yourself in Laguna and want to go off the beaten path away from the beach, the crowds, the traffic and the lack of parking, head inland a way to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center. The center is open everyday from 10 AM-4 PM and is free but donations are welcomed.