Protect Our Ocean

The girls and I embarked on our Free Friday adventure. This week we visited the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. This is a rescue center for marine mammals such as sea lions, seals and other injured or sick mammals that become beached. The center is next to the animal shelter. Once we arrived we were pleasantly surprised at the structure of the buildings. They are barn like buildings and house the marine mammals which are in rehabilitation. The Pacific Marine Mammal Center is designed to Rescue the injured or sick mammals, Rehabilitate each one and then Return them to their home in the ocean.

I was surprised that my 4 year old daughter absorbed the educational lessons and there are many. This center has a FREE self guided tour with a host of information about how each one of us can help protect these mammals by avoiding harmful actions such as throwing trash, car oil, detergent or soap, and pet waste in the drains and gutters that lead directly to the ocean waters. My daughter was surprised however when we arrived to the center and she had her first glimpse of the seal lions in the pools, she asked me "Mommy, when is the show going to start?" Once I explained that this is not Sea World and these are sea lions and harbor seals with injuries or they are sick and the center is helping make them better she started to grasp the idea of how we can change our behaviors to help keep the ocean clean and these mammals safe in their home. The staff is on hand for any questions and the volunteers are very friendly and knowledgeable. There are docent led guided tours available for a small fee and are great for groups such as school field trips and girl scout or boy scout troops.

This center operates on donations and this is a great way to directly impact the ability to rehabilitate these beautiful sea creatures. You can become a member for as little as $25 a year. I would recommend this facility for anyone interested in learning about marine ecology and ocean marine life. You will see first hand how we can help assist and protect the mammals and their home. Who knows, maybe this will spark an interest in your child and they child will have a future in marine biology or ecology of the ocean.For more information on FREE Fun Activities you can enjoy in Orange County visit http://www.ocfunguide.com/ You can visit the website for the Pacific Marine Mammal Center directly at http://www.pacificmmc.org/