Host Gail Buhl connected with marine mammal veterinarian Dr. Michelle Rivard, and Casey Mclean, of SR3, the Washington state based organization named for its missions: sealife response, rehabilitation, and research. Casey and Dr. Michelle tell Gail about SR3’s origin, how they came to be involved, and all about the work they’re doing with harbor seals. This is a two-part series. In Part-1, we cover some common reasons harbor seals land in rehabilitation, what their rehabilitation  process looks like, and how SR3 staff prepare them for release.

Check out the resources below for more on marine mammal rehabilitation, including who to call if you encounter a stranded, orphaned, or injured marine mammal. In Part 2, Gail, Michelle, and Casey discuss more about the release process, then dive into some similarities and differences of another common West Coast marine mammal, the California Sea Lion. 

Notes:

SR3: SR³ SeaLife Response, Rehabilitation, and Research (sealifer3.org)

Full listing of contacts, visit: National Marine Mammal stranding response hotlines 

Northern and Northeast U.S.: 866-755-6622

Southern and Southeast U.S., including Puerto Rico: 877-942-5343

West Coast: 866-767-6114

Alaska: 877-925-7773

Hawaii: 888-256-9840

Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.

To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).