AWARD-WINNING MARINE MAMMAL RESCUE SOCIETY
Ambassador Animals Inspire Awareness of Marine Conservation

by Molly Sheanh
(click images to enlarge)

The Vancouver Aquarium is a long standing institution within Stanley Park, but did you know that they have a partnership with an independent non-profit organization doing incredible work in the realm of marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation?

**Harbour seal in the wild.** *(VAMMR photo)*

The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society (VAMMR) is a 60-year-old institution which was recently internationally recognized in the Defender Service Awards on November 15th in Temecula, California.

A social media campaign spearheaded by VAMMR staff member Kendra Luckow, with support from Jennifer Ferguson, the development team, and online supporters, led to VAMMR winning the Animal, Wildlife and Marine Welfare category; gaining further recognition for VAMMR’s remarkable work and receiving a customized Land Rover Defender 130 SUV to assist on their missions and rescues, as well as $30,000.

After hearing about this achievement, I was invited to tour their rescue and rehabilitation facility and chat with Dr. Martin Haulena, the executive director of VAMMR and head veterinarian and director of animal health at the Vancouver Aquarium.

This incredible organization, the only facility of its kind in Canada, covers marine mammal rescue on the entirety of British Columbia’s coastline. Their mission statement is to “rescue, rehabilitate, and release marine mammals in distress.”

They take in many species who are either sick, injured, or separated from their mothers: harbour seals, sea otters, elephant seals, California sea lions, stellar sea lions, fur seals, small cetaceans like harbour porpoises, and several species of sea turtles.

**VAMMR volunteer outreach station at the Vancouver Aquarium.** *(Molly Sheanh photo)*

As a non-profit, the vast majority of their operating costs come from donors and membership, with the Aquarium providing some support as well. Trained volunteers are essential for this operation: there are at least 200 active volunteers, with a lot of donors also doubling as volunteers. Their annual intake is in the spring if you are interested in applying and offering your time and energy to their cause.

You can find a VAMMR volunteer at the Vancouver Aquarium under the big blue tent by the outdoor marine mammal exhibit, where they will share stories about current ambassador animals, provide information about VAMMR’s work, and tell you how you can get involved. Signage in the Aquarium gift shop also provides information on how you can donate or symbolically adopt an animal in need.

On a relatively quiet day in early December, at VAMMR’s off-site facility at the Port of Vancouver terminal near CRAB Park, there were about eight or nine harbour seals currently in residence. Most animals arrive here during the summer months of July and August.

Harbour seals are highly affected by human activity, since their name ‘harbour seal’ truly describes where they tend to live: in harbours. We humans also are quite active in these areas, so the potential for human-wildlife conflict is high and tends to result in a lot of harbour seals who are in need of rescue.

On the day of my visit, Dr. Haulena was preparing to travel to an area near Cowichan Bay on Vancouver Island the following day to conduct a mission to free a female stellar sea lion who had become entangled with debris around her neck.

With the help of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), who take VAMMR staff on their boats to conduct missions and rescues, the mission was a success and now the healing process can begin. This outcome would not have been possible without the weeks-long effort of the Cowichan peoples (who later named the sea lion Stl’eluqum), local coastal observers, and the online community.

The debris removed from Stl’eluqum’s neck entered the marine environment as a direct result of human activity, and according to VAMMR staff there are approximately 400 sea lions currently entangled on BC’s coast in “discarded rope, nets, monofilament and packing bands.”

VAMMR has been at its current off-site location since 2004, and not only is it a place to rehabilitate animals in need, it also doubles as a teaching facility where many students and early-career marine scientists come to learn from Dr. Haulena and the world-class team. Along with a strong research program, they also provide tools for rescue centres on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast to effectively work to save animals in need.

**Current VAMMR donor-funded hospital facility (left), and the garden shed that was used as a hospital previously.** *(Molly Sheanh photo)*

VAMMR can treat anywhere from 80 to up to 200 animals at a time at their facility, most of whom are eventually deemed healthy enough to be released into the wild. However, every year there are one or two non-releasable animals, and most often it is due to them being blind. This is, again, more often than not a result of human activity.

The trainers that work with blind marine mammals at VAMMR and the Vancouver Aquarium are among the best in the world, and help prepare them to live healthy, enriched lives in captivity. These animals become ambassador animals for marine conservation, inspiring aquarium visitors and helping to spread awareness not only of marine mammals and environments as a whole, but also shining a light on the massive impacts that human activity can have on wild animals.

**Cinco the California sea lion at the Vancouver Aquarium with a trainer.** *(Molly Sheanh photo)*

Cinco the California sea lion is one of these ambassador animals, and you can find him at the Vancouver Aquarium. When Cinco arrived at VAMMR in 2017 with bullets lodged in his head, Dr. Haulena and the team successfully performed life-saving surgery in their donor-funded hospital building. Once he was healthy enough to leave their care, he found a new home at the Vancouver Aquarium.

A future ambassador animal, Crinkle - a harbour seal who became blinded by rubber bullets, was residing at VAMMR when I visited. The VAMMR team had performed surgery to remove one of her eyes, and while the other still remains intact it has lost its ability to functionally operate. She is already becoming used to being around people and the sounds that we make, which will be important once she is eventually relocated to a different aquarium, most likely in Oregon.

**Crinkle the blind harbour seal before eye-removal surgery.** *(VAMMR photo)*

VAMMR public outreach also includes information on what to do if you spot a harbour seal pup. Mother harbour seals leave their pups on beaches at high tide so that they can hunt, much like how fawns are left alone by their mothers for periods of time. So what should you do if you find an animal in distress? Keep your distance and contact your nearest marine mammal rescue society.

HOW TO BE SEAL SMART …

“Rescue, rehabilitate, and release” is a truly embodied mission statement at VAMMR, and with the help of ambassador animals and dedicated staff and volunteers, this non-profit is making a difference for marine mammals across British Columbia and giving them a second chance at life. Learn more about how to be seal smart here.