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Be a Marine Mammal Hero Year-Round

It’s pupping season and that means pups will be pouring through our hospital doors in need of meals and meds. But did you know you can help not only during pupping season, but year-round?

Yes, as a monthly donor, you will help provide fish meals, meds and care for a marine mammal like Magoo so they can regain their strength and return to their ocean home. Then the next month, you will help another patient. And the next month? You will make it possible again!

Plus, new monthly gifts will be matched up to $1,000 when you sign up by Sunday, February 23.

Be a hero year-round
harbor seal, magoo
the marine mammal center front patio
  • Stories from the Last 50 Years

Stories from the Last 50 Years

sea lion release california marine mammal center
Sea lion release from the days of the California Marine Mammal Center, before we re-branded to The Marine Mammal Center

I started volunteering at The Marine Mammal Center in spring of 2002. I was a very enthusiastic 13-year-old who had just enrolled in the inaugural Youth Crew program. From the first time I laid eyes on a sea lion at the Center, I was completely overwhelmed with wonder. I vividly remember my last day of educational docent training at the Center and my parents rushing me home to San Jose to get ready for my 8th grade graduation. I read my newly purchased copy of Marine Mammals of the World the entire car ride, insatiably absorbing every captivating fact about marine mammals and counting down the days until I could return to the Center.  

In those early years, to my unbelievable luck and fortune, my father drove me to the Center on Saturdays so I could docent. I loved every moment, from interacting with the visitors to watching the animals in care, to bonding with the staff and volunteers. When days were slow, I would wander back to the chart room and see what Topside Saturday Crew was up to. I loved their wild stories, rambunctious laughter, and affinity for infusing fun into even the most serious of situations. Soon enough, they took me in as a Saturday Crew animal care youth volunteer, where I joyfully scrubbed buckets, sorted herring, and filled footbaths to the best of my teenage abilities.  

As time went on, I became a highschooler, and then a young adult. I went to college, graduated, and got my first job. During those formative years, it was admittedly hard to make the time commitment to Saturday Crew, and my attendance was patchy at best, but each time I came back I was welcomed with open arms. I always told myself I would stop volunteering completely when Saturday Crew stopped being fun, but there was no sign of the fun stopping yet. I wouldn’t quit.   

In my mid-twenties, I seized the sudden opportunity to serve as a crew supervisor on Saturday Crew. Suddenly, I was coming to crew all the time. With such a great group of people to work with, it was so easy to pour energy into the role. Together, we navigated sea lion tsunamis and fur seal furnados, when we were caring for large numbers of animals onsite. We also celebrated birthdays, new jobs, college acceptances and delicious breakfast foods. In true Saturday Crew fashion, our shifts were filled with wild stories and rambunctious laughter, despite the sometimes long and heavy days.  

A few years later, I got married (with most of Saturday Crew in attendance), and then went to graduate school to study Environmental Management. The stress of full-time work and graduate school seemed insurmountable, and I thought about taking a permanent break from volunteering. But still, Saturday Crew continued to be fun, with no signs of stopping. I couldn’t quit.  

I finally surrendered my supervisor role when I became pregnant with my daughter. After she was born, I made a harrowing attempt to switch career fields from healthcare to the environmental sciences. After months of weathering rejected job applications and drawing down our savings account, I was offered a great job as a senior environmental specialist in local government. Upon my hiring, my manager cited my experience as a supervisor at The Marine Mammal Center as one of my standout qualifications.   

To this day, I continue to come to Saturday Crew as much as I can possibly tear myself away from my toddler’s sticky grasp. My attendance is patchy at best, but each time I come back I am welcomed with open arms ever still, right at the chart room door. I love being a mom, but Saturday Crew has provided me with the respite to fill my cup and feel like myself again when I’m worn out from seemingly endless work and sleepless nights. And I don’t know how it’s still possible, but it still just continues to be so much fun. I can’t quit.   

The Marine Mammal Center is the same wonderful, welcoming, and accommodating place since I first pulled on slickers over 20 years ago. It is quite overwhelming to realize that virtually every milestone in my life has been celebrated on Saturday Crew, and every part of the person that I am has been positively shaped and molded by the important lessons I’ve learned through volunteering there. It is where I met one of my best friends in the world, and countless other beautiful souls who I’ve had the privilege of calling my second family. My time there has soothed heartbreak, empowered me to tackle challenges at work, pulled me out of the dark days of postpartum, inspired a daunting career change and bulletproofed my sense of smell.  

I am most certainly the best version of myself when I am at The Marine Mammal Center, and I owe it a debt of gratitude for the unquantifiable impact it has had on my life. If the past 20+ years are any indication, I’ll be sticking around for the fun for many more years to come. Happy 50th Anniversary, The Marine Mammal Center!  

Alisa Keenan, Volunteer since 2000 

volunteer appreciation party 10 year award recipients
Volunteer Appreciation Party 10 year award recipients: Amber Dooley, Linn Johnson, Sarah Van Ness, Maria Trenary-Misuzu Toyama, Alisa Keenan

I was introduced to the Center in 2013 when my mom had me shadow the vet team. I spent a day following the vets, seeing them care for patients, and learning first-hand about the impactful work the Center does. I learned I didn't want to become a vet, but I wanted to stay involved with the Center!  

Fast forward to 2016, I applied for the Youth Crew program and was accepted. During my two years in Youth Crew I accumulated over 600 volunteer hours. I learned first-hand about the work at the Center, how to care for patients on crew (shoutout Friday Night Crew), and the importance of education and taking action.  

My time as a Youth Crew volunteer solidified my passion for what I wanted to study in college. After obtaining my college degree, I was delighted to come across a job opening at the Center's PIER 39 location where I worked temporarily. My knowledge of sea lions expanded and I was able to interact with a diverse group of visitors.   

Fast forward, I applied to join the Center as staff working in the Education department and it truly has been a joy combining all my interests into one at one of my favorite places. I am so proud of the Center's work and accomplishments, and I look forward to seeing what comes next. 

Kyra Asako Kawamoto, Volunteer and Staff starting in 2016 

kyra tabling for youth crew
Cordelia Badger, Kyra Kawamoto, Sarah Weindorf and Deirdre Denmon

What inspires me to continue supporting the Center? I have loved seals ever since I went to the New England aquarium when I was five years old. My love, though some would call it an obsession, led me to choose seals for a science report in fifth grade. I was searching online and I stumbled across The Marine Mammal Center. Somehow, as a fifth grader, I found an email address for the Center and sent a bunch of questions for my report (sent from my first email address, “sealsrock”). The next time I checked my email, I was delighted to see that someone had responded! I was so excited.  

For years to follow, I would constantly check the Center’s patient dashboard, and when I was able to donate money, I would send it to the Center. I was so touched that someone had taken the time to respond to a little girl who even then, cared so much for these animals. That's why I continue to support the Center, even though I only became directly involved as a volunteer this year.  

Rebecca Peace Ward-Diorio, Volunteer since 2024 

beandip elephant seal
Elephant seal pup, Beandip

One of the precious memories of my life is having been a volunteer at the Center. Thank you. 

Pang Thanapanich, Media Volunteer in 2016 

Guadalupe fur seal, Adelie
Guadalupe fur seal, Adelie

Aloha! My husband Matthew and I work in wildlife conservation on the island of Kauai, specifically educating people about how to coexist with Hawaii's endangered state mammal, the Hawaiian monk seal. As a professional artist, I've been putting out monk seal images for a few years to raise awareness of the animals' existence, which many visitors to Hawai’i are not aware of. Out of this grew my husband's desire to create IlioKai.com, which features fun and educational clothing and accessories with our Hawaiian monk seal mascot – proceeds are earmarked for The Marine Mammal Center's Ke Kai Ola hospital on the Big Island. We are grateful for The Marine Mammal Center’s work and look forward to continued public awareness and peace around not only monk seals but also the environment and the world at large. 

 Amanda JS Kaufmann, Supporter since 2023 

Hawaiian monk seal educational clothing and accessories
Hawaiian monk seal educational clothing and accessories

This photo was taken November 14, 2007, and shows me restraining a California sea lion for an exam while an ozone degassing tower is hoisted in the background. 

My memory is that we stayed open for about four years while construction was happening "next door". 

Stan Jensen, Volunteer since 2000 

Stan Jenson restraining a sea lion
Stan Jenson restraining a sea lion

It was my first season as a volunteer on Thursday night harbor seal crew. I was alone cleaning the U4 pool  that was allowed in those days  late in the evening around 11:30pm. It was one of those warm summer nights with fog all around but clear sky above, bright with stars. As I was scrubbing the pool, the brush surrounded by the incredibly charismatic, curious, and outrageously CUTE harbor seal pups, I could hear the nearby ocean waves and the deep, resonant, and somewhat mournful sounds of nearby foghorns.   I remember thinking, I am the only person in the world having this experience right now. In that moment, I was totally hooked. That was 18 years ago. 

Jody Hackerott Gibney, Volunteer since 2006 

Harbor seal pup, Crabber
Harbor seal pup, Crabber

Around 1990, a friend and I were camping in Mendocino. We went on a walk along the cliffs and on a beach below, and saw a sea lion who was obviously not doing well. My friend called The Marine Mammal Center, and they sent volunteers and a truck to get the sea lion. However, she had underestimated his size. They should have brought a truck with a winch, but had already made the two to three hour drive up to us.  

I grabbed a board and stood in the water, helping the volunteers to corral the sea lion into the crate. Then, the volunteers began to ask every person who walked by if they would help to pull this 400-pound sea lion up the cliff trail. We probably had 20 people pulling on that rope to get him up and into the truck. Such an amazing experience! I have been a monthly donor ever since.  

Kari Jacobs, Supporter since 1990 

large male sea lion
A large sea lion in a cove

When I first moved to California in 1975 and was looking for a job, I found out about your facility. My background was as a vet technician, so I love being around animals.  I volunteered and had a blast. Back then you had plastic kiddy pools and were using the Nike missile silos. My job was to poke medicine and pills inside fish and then help feed them to the seals and sea lions. 

Deirdre Cerkanowicz, Volunteer in 1976 

Harbor seals in a plastic kiddy pool
Harbor seals in a plastic kiddy pool

I began volunteering with the Center 10+ years ago to give back to the ocean, something that has given me, and continues to give me, so much peace, perspective, balance, and happiness. Little did I know then that my time with the Center would be so fulfilling, providing new and deep friendships, ocean conservation knowledge, and exceptional experiences. I am deeply grateful for how the Center has been an enriching and positive part of my life and identity over the past ten years. Thank you to The Marine Mammal Center and happy 50th anniversary!! 

Ashley Gray, Volunteer since 2013 

baby harbor seal
Harbor seal pup, Sandia

I started volunteering the day after leaving a position at the Academy of Sciences in 2014, the same year we saw a record number of animals. I started as a docent, and within the first few months also became a rescue volunteer. During my early volunteer years, I also unknowingly created a new volunteer position, in-kind donation volunteer, responsible for obtaining equipment and donated goods for use in the hospital as well as wine, beer and raffle prizes for special events at the Center. I also interview new volunteers and at one point I was one of the early volunteers trained as a dispatch volunteer, which I let go after a few years.   

Regardless the volunteer role, I found likeminded souls that were all extremely proud and enthusiastic in service of the Marine Mammal Center. It’s often said, and I’m sure I’m not the first one to repeat it, “You come for the animals and you stay for the community.” It’s very true. This is a very special and unique place, taking on a huge mission and spreading the word to the public. In all my years of nonprofit work and volunteerism, as I often tell the new volunteers that I interview, I’ve never been associated with an organization that treats their volunteers with such appreciation and such respect. This attitude comes from both management and staff.  And in case that’s not enough positive reinforcement, typically you also get a real sense of appreciation from the public.  

I’ve been at the Center 10 years now and have volunteered over 3,700 hours, and all I can feel is excitement and enthusiasm. Looking forward to hopefully another 10 at the Center.  The staff, other volunteers and visitors are a constant reminder of why the work we do is so worthwhile and making such a change in in a world.  

At the Center, each and every volunteer plays a role in making a difference in the world.    The volunteer manager once said to me, if you look at volunteer hours as a donation of dollars, you begin to understand the huge difference that the 1,400+ volunteers make at the Center. Through their hours of service, they give the equivalent of millions of dollars, without which the Center would cease to exist. The value everybody attaches to the volunteers at the Center is evident just by taking a tour or asking somebody why they volunteer. It is a community dedicated to really making a difference in this world. 

Peter Mandell, Volunteer since 2014 

peter mandell holding a bottle of Iron Horse wine
Peter Mandell holding a bottle of Iron Horse wine

I volunteered for a short while in 2000. I have never in my life met people with such a deep love for animals.  

I was scanning photos of some of the patients and could barely tell a seal from a sea lion, or a California sea lion from an elephant seal. The volunteer who was mentoring me remembered every animal by name. “Oh, that’s Fred, he was here two years ago.” 

Even though I only volunteered for a short while, I have the most beautiful memories that have stayed with me for 25 years. 

Christine Lehnhoff, Volunteer in 2000 

man feeding a sea lion
An old scanned-in photo

Too many stories to choose from!  

  • the disappearing porpoise 
  • the 2 AM sea lion rescue in the streets of Sacramento 
  • fur seal rescue along Highway 37 during morning rush hour, an elephant seal pup that was reported as two sea turtles tied together 
  • getting trampled (thank goodness for herding boards!) by one adult male sea lion 
  • a separate adult male sea lion trying to move me out of his way over the top of a herding board that was extended as high as I could go so he could get to the pool,  
  • swimming with a rough-tooth dolphin during rehabilitation 
  • drying the fur of a sea otter pup in the middle of the night before flying out for my honeymoon 
  • having a new volunteer stand with my baby daughter in her stroller on the opposite end of the dock in Napa while I was netting a sea lion on the other end 
  • being on-site incident commander for the first few days of two whales up the Sacramento Delta 
  • media interviews galore 
  • doing behavioral work with animals going to permanent managed care 
  • demonstrating an adult male sea lion's behaviors for his debut to the San Francisco Zoo 
  • flying to Colorado with a sea lion going to the Blank Park Zoo 
  • doing rescues at PIER 39 in front of a ton of people 
  • rescuing a sea lion on a dock on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay and then doing crowd control and education on the ferry ride back 
  • working check in at galas and volunteer parties 
  • running in the Run-4-the-Seals with my dogs 
  • grand openings of Monterey Bay Operations, San Luis Obispo Operations and multiple stages in Sausalito 
  • living through the first identified domoic acid toxicosis epidemic 
  • making the hard call to euthanize a sea lion due to severe shark bite trauma 
  • cargo netting two adult male sea lions out of the hull of a fishing boat in Monterey 
  • being featured in McCall's magazine 
  • meeting the three founders of the Center for the first time 
  • attending conferences representing the Center 
  • having a type of herding board named after me 
  • presenting in my daughter’s classes with her playing the sea lion 
  • guiding many volunteers, staff, interns, visitors and network partners throughout the years.  

So much more I could share! One of the things I'm most proud of is growing up in the 'business', building network partner relationships and successfully evolving with the Center throughout the years. 

 Shelbi Jean Stoudt, Staff since 1993 

Shelbi Stoudt and crew with patient on gurney
Shelbi Stoudt and crew with sea lion patient on gurney

We rescued a harbor seal pup on June 22, 1987. One of the rescuers was a dancer and Fred Astaire had died around that time, so we named him Astaire.  We later found out he was blind, so we could not release him and he had to be placed in a facility. We found a home for him at an oceanarium along the Mediterranean. He led a good life there. I am sending a picture taken by National Geographic.  

Viki Lynn Adam, Volunteer in 1985 

Harbor seal, Astaire
Harbor seal, Astaire