The Latest Breaking News from the Marine Mammal Center

Humpback whale spotted in California river, traveling 60 miles from Pacific Ocean

The animal seemed in good shape despite being far from home

The Independent UK · Sep 18

More sea lions falling ill in California in bad sign of what’s to come

Ocean warming driven by El Niño is pushing sea lions farther north for food, leaving nursing pups abandoned along beaches in Southern California

The Independent UK · Sep 11

Chonkers has competition! A fat sea lion buddy shows up at San Francisco’s Pier 39

The real Chonkers arrived at Pier 39 in March and unusually stayed for two months, turning him into a viral sensation

The Independent UK · Sep 4

Baby sea otter is reunited with mother in central California after dramatic rescue

The Marine Mammal Center has rescued a sea otter pup in Morro Bay, California, after it was separated from its mother

The Independent UK · Nov 14, 2025

California has closed a popular beach because too many sea lions are hanging out at it

Dozens of sea lions have taken over San Carlos Beach in Monterey, California, resulting in visitors being told to stay away for now

The Independent UK · Aug 21, 2025

Scientists work to understand why dozens of whales have recently died in the San Francisco Bay Area

The majestic ocean creatures are still recovering from a massive die-off in 2019-23 that is estimated to have cut their population by 45 percent

The Independent UK · Jul 22, 2025

A seafood bounty lures sea lions to S.F.'s Pier 39 in numbers not seen in 15 years

It's a popular rest stop for sea lions, but the docks at the tourist hot spot these days are unusually packed out with the slippery residents. Conservationists are buoyed by the surge in visitors.

WEKU · May 4, 2024