MARINE MAMMAL
STRANDING INFORMATION
Photo credit: Karlyn Langjahr/NOAA
Feiro is a permitted responder for NOAA’s Marine Mammal Stranding Network. Our coverage area extends from approximately Jamestown Beach to the border of the Makah Reservation. If the stranded animal is in that jurisdiction, please call Feiro directly at
360-775-5182
What Is a Mammal Stranding?
A marine mammal is stranded only if it is unable to return to its natural habitat without assistance. Stranded mammals also include dead animals on the beach or in the water. Please don’t move or touch the animal.
If you see a dead, injured or stranded mammal along the Strait of Juan de Fuca call:
Feiro Marine Life Center
360-775-5182
or
West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network Hotline
1-866-767-6114
For law enforcement, harassment, and other violations, call:
NOAA
1-800-853-1964

Share the Coast with Seals
Harbor seal pups need to rest on shore. Late June through September is harbor seal birthing season and you may see pups on the shore. The pups haul out on land to get much needed rest and warmth. They sleep peacefully on the beaches and rocks, often alone for hours. Seal pups come ashore to regulate their temperature and gain strength for their survival. A pup alone on the shore is not necessarily abandoned or sick. Harbor seal mothers are very shy and will not return to their young if they do not feel safe. So observe from a distance, never disturb, touch or move a seal pup and at all times keep dogs away.
Once a year Northern elephant seals come ashore to molt. The molt is called an epidermal molt and is a unique characteristic of elephant seals. During the molt they shed their fur and the first layer of skin. The skin and fur come off in sheets as new skin and fur replace old. When the molt is finished, the animals have silver fur.