Remember to Leave Seals Be and
Call (415) 289-SEAL

• Watch and listen to the Leave Seals Be campaigns
• Rescue numbers in your area
• Seven Steps to Saving a Seal

First Harbor Seal Patients of the Year: Teeny Tot and Fireman Phil

Teeny Tot

Teeny Tot, a days old harbor seal pup with umbilicus still attached, was rescued at Pebble Beach, Bird Rock, Monterey County on March 3, 2010. He was found alone, surrounded by people and dogs, as well as sea gulls. Volunteers from the Center nicknamed him Teeny Tot as he only weighed about 10 pounds. With no mother in sight, volunteers brought him to the hospital where staff and volunteers began giving him the medical care he needed. Maternal separation can be dangerous for pups like him, so the immediate priority at the Center was to provide him warmth and hydration followed by salmon formula feedings.

Fireman Phil

Fireman Phil was rescued on February 25, 2010. This little seal found himself stuck in rocks, alone and surrounded by people. Like Tiny Tot, this seal’s mother was nowhere in sight. Upon admit at the hospital, he weighed just over 10 pounds, and had a shiny Lanugo coat. Volunteers are keeping a watch over him to make sure he gets the best care possible. Fireman Phil was the first harbor seal admitted to The Marine Mammal Center in 2010.

Knowing what to do when you see a harbor or elephant seal pup alone on a beach can mean the difference between life and death, and with newborn pups still out on beaches, it's important to Leave Seals Be! Leave Seals Be is The Marine Mammal Center's public awareness campaign to let the public know how best they can help seals in distress, which starts with a call to one of our three regional hotlines:

From Mendocino to San Mateo Counties
Call (415) 289-SEAL (7325)

In Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties
Call (831) 633-6298

In San Luis Obispo County
Call (805) 771-8300

Our rescue hotlines are answered 24 hours a day.

About the campaign:

The Leave Seals Be campaign aims to discourage illegal pick-ups of newborn harbor seal pups. Sometimes members of the public mistakenly believe that they are helping a pup when they move it. But sadly, this action may be more harmful to the pup than good.

The best thing to do to help an animal in distress is to call The Marine Mammal Center (415-289-SEAL) which is authorized by the National Marine Fisheries Service to respond to stranded marine mammals along 600 miles of northern and central California coastline. Trained volunteers will go out and assess the situation to see if the pup really needs to be rescued. In many cases, the pup may be put under observation for 24-48 hours to see if the mother will return first. This observation period is key because a mother may be nearby waiting for a chance to get back to her pup. Unless absolutely necessary, we never want to remove a pup from its mother during this critical nursing period. After all, there's no substitute for the antibodies the mother's milk provides, and this is an extremely important time in the pup's development.

Because our rescue area is so large, we can't do it alone. We need your help! When you see a marine mammal in distress, your timely response can mean the difference between life and death.

Other ways you can help: Spread the word! Go online and tell your friends about this important campaign. Educate others with an e-mail linking to our site. Post it on Facebook. Tweet about it.

Volunteer! The Center is always in need of volunteers. Come join us and make a difference.

Donate! Consider donating to the Center. Your funds will go a long way towards aiding the Center's important mission.

Become a member of The Marine Mammal Center! By becoming a member, you'll have access to special events.

Watch our video PSA.

Listen to our PSA.