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| Species: |
Harbor Seal |
| Rescue Date: |
March 30, 2004 |
| Rescue Location: |
Crescent Bay, Laguna Beach, CA |
| Rescue Weight: |
20.10 pounds |
| Rescue Length: |
31 inches |
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How You Can Help
Pacific Marine Mammal Center suggests taking the following actions if a harbor seal is spotted on the shore:
- Do not approach the animal. Please keep a distance of 50 yards from the animal.
- Call Pacific Marine Mammal Center at 949.494.3050 to report the exact location of the animal. PMMC staff
can then begin to monitor the area and allow the mother a chance to reunite with her pup.
- Keep others from approaching the animal, as well as any dogs.
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Not sure what type of animal you have spotted on the beach? Check out our Species Identifier to learn more
about how to identify the marine mammals that frequent this area.
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Avalon
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We received a call in the late morning of March 30th of a sick seal in the water. The caller
indicated their intention to pick the animal up. It is illegal for the general public to handle marine
mammals. These animals are protected on our beaches by the
Marine Mammal Protection Act and only
organizations authorized by the National Marine Fisheries Service can legally rescue sick or injured Marine Mammals.
The Pacific Marine Mammal Center, formerly Friends of the Sea Lion, is the only group authorized in Orange County.
Our rescue team rushed down to the beach to evaluate the reported animal. They found a small harbor seal, underweight and
dehydrated with a gash under her left eye. She was named Avalon by the volunteers at PMMC. Once at the center, she was
started on a treatment to rehydrate, nourish her and clean and treat her wound. A small pellet from a pellet gun was found
to have caused the gash under her eye. This was alarming since it proves a scary human intervention with this animal.
Avalon is improving, her wound is healing and she is gaining weight. She has started taking whole fish and soon will be
swimming and diving for her food in a pool.
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