Whatcom Marine Mammal Stranding Network (WMMSN)

WMMSN is 501(c)(3) non-profit organization made up of volunteers who are dedicated to the care of stranded or deceased marine mammals on the beaches of Whatcom County, Washington – Under an authority granted by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
To Donate or learn more, please go to their website at: http://www.wmmsn.org

Our local Volunteer is Victoria Souze and you can call her at 360-739-6713 or the Wildlife Center at 360-966-8845 to report a sick, injured, distressed, or dead marine mammal within Whatcom County. To report a marine mammal stranding outside of Whatcom County call the NOAA hotline at 1-800-853-1964

Please remember that all marine mammals are federally protected from harassment.

Marine mammals are classified into four different taxonomic groups:

- cetaceans (whales • dolphins • porpoises)
  Orcas (Orcinus orca) Despite being called killer whales, they are actually dolphins
- pinnipeds (seals • sea lions • walruses)
- sirenians (manatees • dugongs)
  Neither of these are found in the Pacific Northwest
- fissipeds (polar bears • sea otters)
  We do not generally have Sea Otters here and most thought to be spotted are actually our River Otters.
  No Polar Bears for sure, however we do get Black Bears

Keywords

seals pups whales humpbacks orcas harbor

_{Updated: 2022/10/17 @ 1:13 am Tark Henderson}