Earlier this summer, Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute (CIMWI), a volunteer-based nonprofit organization, put out a call for help. CIMWI responds to and rehabilitates sick, injured, malnourished, entangled, and oiled marine mammals, and amid a large influx of pinnipeds in need of rehabilitation, their need for marine mammal caretakers had become dire. Oregon Coast Aquarium (OCAq) mammalogists—the dedicated individuals who care for the Aquarium’s sea otters, seals, sea lions, and marine mammal rehab cases—answered the call. Curator of Marine Mammals Brittany Blades and Mammalogist Becca Haynes made the journey to Santa Barbara, California to help clean holding areas, feed animals, provide fluids, and assist releases.
While the exact cause of the uptick in rehab cases is unknown, the majority of the animals were malnourished pups. Each animal CIMWI rescues is given a physical examination and its medical condition is evaluated. CIMWI’s Manager works closely with CIMWI’s Chief Veterinarian to determine a course of treatment for any illness/injury, prescribe medications and establish a feeding plan to help patients get healthy, gain weight and become strong so they can be returned to their natural habitat. To facilitate successful re-introductions to the wild, CIMWI releases rehabilitated marine mammals in areas with wild populations of the same species. The majority of CIMWI’s releases are off boats near one of the Channel Islands with the long-term support of Island Packers. When a beach release is necessary, they are done on local beaches with minimal human presence.
The animal care community is made up of incredibly dedicated individuals; these community connections make a direct difference to humans and wildlife alike. “This was a win-win opportunity for all facilities involved,” said Blades. “The facilities in California were able to accept more animals for rehabilitation thanks to the extra helping hands, and OCAq staff were able to share their expertise and refresh or learn new rehabilitation skills.” While Blades and Haynes assisted CIMWI, two other OCAq staff were supporting efforts elsewhere; Assistant Curator of Marine Mammals Ashley Griffin-Stence helped out at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, while Certified Vet Tech Margot Langan made the trip to Los Angeles to aid the Marine Mammal Care Center.
As OCAq prepares to construct a new Marine Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, the opportunity for staff to learn how three different rehabilitation facilities function proved invaluable.
“We’ve debriefed about what we learned and can implement in the Oregon Coast Aquarium’s marine mammal rehabilitation program,” said Blades. “One of my favorite aspects about the animal care community is how we all connect with the one common goal to increase the quality of life for any animal in our care.”
Information and photos provided by OCAq
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