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Your Life-Saving Gift Will Be Matched

Found with his flippers tucked tightly against his body, California sea lion Pockets looked like a sick child with a bellyache.

Pockets was battling a potentially fatal bacterial disease, leptospirosis. We've rescued nearly 500 sea lions affected by this year's intense outbreak.

With your matched gift, you’ll not only help provide the meals and advanced medical care needed to help a sea lion like Pockets recover, but also support our researchers in learning more about this disease.

Match my life-saving gift
California sea lion
Kyra Kawamoto

Kyra Kawamoto

Marine Science Educator

Kyra Kawamoto first joined The Marine Mammal Center as a Youth Crew volunteer in 2016 and returned in 2017 as a Youth Crew Alumni. She then volunteered in the Education department in 2018. In her current role as Marine Science Educator, Kyra supports the planning, strategizing, and running of our high school programs as well as leading school tours and supporting our other Education programs as needed. 

Inspired by her experience on Youth Crew, Kyra combined her passion for education and marine science by dual majoring in Elementary Education and Multilingual Learning as well as receiving a certificate in Marine Science at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. 

Upon graduating, Kyra spent two years working as a teacher on Oahu and moved back to the Bay Area to pursue outreach education. During the summer of 2023, Kyra worked at the Center’s temporary PIER 39 location as a Conservation Education Associate. 

In her spare time, Kyra enjoys baking new recipes, trying different restaurants with friends and spending time outdoors. 


Areas of Expertise

  • Conservation
  • Education
  • Outreach
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