MLML Ornithology & Mammalogy Lab

Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Network

We need your help to rescue and recover marine mammals and sea turtles along the Monterey County, CA, coastline

As members of the U.S. Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program, our aim is to help rescue sick or injured marine mammals and sea turtles that strand along the Monterey County, California, coastline. We also recover dead stranded marine mammals and sea turtles to document the life history of the animals, investigate the final cause of death, collect tissues for analysis, and collect specimens for anatomical and systematic investigations. Such information may be used to learn more about rare or endangered species, to document possible human involvement such as pollution and net entanglement, and to aid in conservation efforts.

Please contact the following agencies if you find a stranded marine mammal or sea turtle*:

  • Live cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises), pinnipeds (seals and sea lions), and sea turtles found in Santa Cruz County OR Monterey County:


  • Dead cetaceans, pinnipeds, or sea turtles:

      Found in Monterey County:

        Moss Landing Marine Labs
        Ornithology and Mammalogy Lab: 831/771-4422,
        or Administration Office (M-F, 8am-5pm): 831/771-4400

      Found in Santa Cruz County:

        UC Santa Cruz
        Long Marine Lab        : 831/459-2883

  • Live or dead sea otters:

*When reporting a stranding, it’s important to have the following information ready to report:

    1) Identification or description of animal (size, color, etc.)
    2) Number of animals involved
    3) Condition of animal (alive, dead, or injured)
    4) Exact location and directions to the strand site
    5) Names and telephone numbers of people involved
    6) Date and time of your observations

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Maintained by: Elijah Woolery
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Comments: webmaster@mlml.calstate.edu
Last revision: February 20, 2003
URL, this page: http://www.mlml.calstate.edu/groups/bird_mam/strndng.htm