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at the California Marine Mammal Centre

Val and I took Donan to the California Marine Mammal Centre because of Donan's sudden interest in whales (it seemed to come out of nowhere). During this trip, I learned that the centre caters mainly to the sick and injured seals and sea lions rescued along the shores of the Bay Area. The centre did not have cetaceans (e.g., whales, dolphins) in the facility.

As a public health microbiologist, I became very interested when the docent we talked with mentioned that California sea lions are getting leptospirosis (leading to kidney disease). Leptospirosis is caused by a spirochaete bacteria called Leptospira. Humans and animals typically get infected if they wade into urine-contaminated water (e.g., flood).

Aside from leptospirosis, marine mammals are also at risk of being poisoned by domoic acid. This toxin is produced by algal blooms, or "red tide". The toxin is particularly harmful to marine mammals due to bioaccumulation, the increase of concentration of domoic acid in the body relative to the environment because of the consumption of large amounts of fish that eat the algae. Domoic acid harms seals (and other marine mammals) because it attacks the brain and the heart. The Marine Mammal Centre conducts research to improve treatment plans and therapies for sick animals.


 

The Marine Mammal Centre treats and rehabilitates the animals until they are healthy enough to be released back into the wild. The animals are placed in separate rooms visible from the guest viewing deck. However, we were not allowed to come close to the sick animals. We did see them being fed, though. We also saw the food preparation room, the animal treatment room, the laboratory, and the morgue. It's a sobering experience to visit the morgue (it is a good thing no autopsies were being conducted at the time) because it's a reminder that not all patients return to the wild. Some of them have been captured in advanced stages of illnesses that they don't survive despite treatment. On the plus side, the autopsies help veterinarians at the centre generate knowledge about the illnesses afflicting marine mammals. 

What an educational afternoon! I certainly didn't expect to learn so much about marine mammals in such a short amount of time. I admire the dedication of the people running the centre, including the youth volunteers who greeted Donan and made the centre less intimidating for toddler and grade school visitors.
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