WELCOME TO PMMC

Pacific Marine Mammal Center is a marine mammal hospital leading in veterinary research, STEM education, and ocean conservation efforts.

Baby sealion on the rock
California Sea Lion basking in the sun on the beach

What types of animals do we care for?

We care for the most common pinnipeds to southern California which are:

  • California Sea Lions

  • Northern Elephant Seals

  • Northern Fur Seals

  • Pacific Harbor Seals

& WHY DO THEY NEED OUR HELP?

Marine mammals, like seals and sea lions, are the modern day canary-in-the-coal-mine.

Sadly, through their diseases, malnutrition, and injuries they are telling us our oceans need our help.

That’s why at pmmc we

01 RescuE

Rescue a sealion at the beach

02 RehabILITATE

Rehabilitating baby sealions

03 RELEASE

Releasing the sealion

  • We also believe in

Education

  • DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS

    Through a series of live chats, videos, presentations and activities, children will learn how we rescue and rehabilitate our seal and sea lion patients in an online world.

    Learn more

  • Community Outreach

    While PMMC is under renovation, we can bring our marine mammal education right to you! Our instructors will provide a presentation with activities educating your group about PMMC’s mission.

    Learn More

  • SUMMER & AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS

    Calling all future marine biologists and ocean stewards! We have many options for your kiddos to learn more about taking care of the ocean.

    Learn more

  • Free Webinars

    Talk to experts on the various marine mammals that live across our planet, the challenges they face, what research is being conducted, and how we can make a positive impact on their environment.

    Learn more

  • AND CONDUCTING SCIENTIFIC

RESEARCH

Boxes full of fish and rescue equipment on board

IMPROVING FISHERIES INTERACTIONS AND NEGATIVE HUMAN IMPACTS ON OUR MARINE ENVIRONMENT

Dumped plastic garbage in the ocean

SINGLE USE PLASTIC & MICROPLASTICS IN OUR OCEANS

A whale doing backflip on the ocean

WHALE & DOLPHIN HEALTH ASSESSMENTS

Sea lion sitting on the shore

SEA LION CANCER AND DDT OFF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Calm under ocean scenery

IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE MARINE ECOSYSTEM

The PMMC team operating a rescue

EFFECTS OF DOMOIC ACID ON MARINE MAMMALS AND PUBLIC HEALTH

  • ALL IN THE NAME OF

Seaweeds

OCEAN STEWARDSHIP

PMMC’s main mission is ultimately motivated by our commitment to ocean stewardship.

With your help, PMMC is committed to:

  • Rescuing & rehabilitating marine mammals

  • Introducing ocean stewardship to the next generation of ocean activists

  • Sharing our mission with the community

sO hERE’S OUR 2023 IMPACT

261 patients
RescueD

49,286 students
Educated

38,834 Visitors
Welcomed

  • AND HERE ARE A FEW

WAYS TO HELP

  • DONATE

    Your support provides a second chance at life for our marine mammal patients. Each gift makes our life-saving work possible! Click the button below to check out different ways you can give.

    Ways to Give

  • VOLUNTEER

    At Pacific Marine Mammal Center, we love our volunteers! As a non-profit, we depend on our awesome volunteers to help with our animal care, docent & education, gift shop needs, and more.

    Ways to Help

  • Become a member

    With the welcoming of our “Next Wave”, there has never been a more exciting time to be a member at PMMC. While our visitor yard is closed for construction we are excited to offer members new and exciting ways to stay involved in our mission and help their favorite patients!

    Join

  • Buy a Brick

    Pacific Marine Mammal Center invites you to purchase a personalized, engraved brick to be installed in our brand new Visitor Yard!

    Click Here

  • OCEAN CLUB

    Welcome to the Ocean Club! We are a group of women from across Orange County with a passion for ocean conservation and a heart to help raise awareness.

    Get Involved

  • Shop Online

    Support our mission by shopping on our online store! Proceeds from sales help support our patients.

    Shop

Follow us on Socials

⭐ We are recruiting for our Fish House Crew! ⭐ Do you find yourself seeking out opportunities to be around marine life? Do you enjoy being around like-minded people? Do you like working in a fast-paced, but fun environment? Fish House Crew Voluntee
Sometimes the best medicine is a good laugh…and a good nap! 🦭💙
Our symbolic adoption kit is a donation that comes with an interactive and educational kit for young ocean enthusiasts! 💙 The proceeds from this purchase help our marine mammal patients recover and return to their ocean home. This adorable package i
Much like a class schedule, our hospital has a routine schedule for rehabilitation 🦭 While our patients are being treated, we have to ensure they don’t lose their skills for surviving in the wild. Our animal care team combats habituation by pr
Are you a high school student passionate about making a difference for our oceans? Do you want to connect with like-minded youth and become an advocate for the environment? ⭐ Join the Youth Action Council (YAC), a youth leadership program focused on
Gray whales travel from the Bering Sea to the Baja lagoons in Mexico to give birth, about 12,000 miles round trip! Get a chance to feel the baleen from these gentle giants in our Marine Mammals on the Move programs. Click the link in bio to sign up t
Last week, Graphic Design + Digital Media students from @lagunacollege interviewed members of PMMC staff at Heisler Park as part of our new and ongoing collaboration with the college. Interviewed last week was Shawn Abbey, our Stranding Coordinator,
Just keep swimming 🩵🦭
The sealion is swimming under the ocean
The sealions are sitting on the rock

  • LOOKING FOR WAYS TO JOIN OUR MISSION?

GET INVOLVED!

While our center is currently closed to the public for construction, there are still plenty of opportunities to get active in our mission.