How Our Patients are Named and Identified

Every animal at our hospital is assigned their own unique ID number that our experts use to track medical records in our database. But at the world’s largest marine mammal hospital where we can have hundreds of patients onsite at a time, staff and volunteers referring to animals solely by their ID numbers could get confusing. To make it easier to talk about our patients and better connect with their conservation stories, they also receive individual names.

In California, our marine mammal patients are named by our dedicated volunteers and caring people like you. After our trained responders rescue an animal, they typically ask for name suggestions from people on the beach who watched the rescue. And if they are still on the beach, the honor of choosing a name usually goes to the person who called our hotline to report the animal.

To avoid confusion, we don’t use the same name twice in a decade for each species. The Center has rescued more than 26,000 animals, so we have to be very creative!

Sometimes, patients are also given names that reflect their rescue story. California sea lion Pinger, for example, was rescued using a specialized “pinging” dart that we designed for high-risk disentanglements. Our trained responders launched the dart that sedates the sea lion while acoustic “pings” from the dart help responders track the animal until it can be safely netted from the water.

When a Hawaiian monk seal is admitted to Ke Kai Ola, our hospital on Hawai‘i Island dedicated to saving this endangered species, the naming process can vary depending on which island the seal was rescued on. The tradition of naming is culturally significant in Hawai‘i, and we honor the land and people by reflecting the traditions of each island.

Hawaiian monk seal patient names are typically chosen by a kupuna, a highly respected elder within the Hawaiian community. When a monk seal from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands is rescued, our cultural advisor visits Ke Kai Ola to observe and learn about the animal. She uses her cultural knowledge to choose a name that best reflects the seal’s personality and Hawaiian spirit. These names are often an inoa pō, a Hawaiian tradition in which the name is received in a dream.

The naming process varies more for monk seals rescued on the Main Hawaiian Islands. Some islands follow similar naming practices to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, some have local community groups or schools select the names, and some choose not to name the seals (these patients are referred to by their unique identification numbers provided by NOAA).

Did you know it’s only because of support from people like you that sick, injured, orphaned and entangled marine mammals can receive expert care? When you symbolically adopt a past patient, you’ll give current and future patients a second chance at life.

Adopt-a-Seal® collections include digital downloads that arrive instantly and physical certificates or gift packages that arrive in the mail.

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