The harbor seal that was shot in the face is showing some signs of improvement. More details below ⬇️ 📷 The harbor seal laying on deck during the snow.

A wet whale sighting from the Des Moines pier! Prior to this week in the Salish Sea, the only time this whale has been documented was in Alaska in 2025.

And they’re off!! The SR3 team (Dr. Holly Fearnbach, Jessica Farrer and Sadie Youngstrom) are crossing the infamous Drake Passage onboard the M/V National Geographic Explorer.

We sat down with a couple of last year’s interns to hear more about their experiences. Learn from Olivia and Soline at www.sealifer3.org/impact-stories/testing-the-waters-in-marine-wildlife-conservation. If you want to join the team this summer, internship applications are open until February 2nd!

It’s that time of year! Should 2026’s patients be named after breakfast foods, vintage names, native plants, or candy? Will we have a Burrito, a Bernard, a Blackberry, or a Butterfinger? Vote at forms.gle/Mo7pqHehnkFq... by January 15th!

SR3’s on-the-beach education program was a wild success this year! www.sealifer3.org/impact-stori....

The most heartbreaking patients at SR3 are the ones harmed directly by human actions. This could be entanglement, pupnapping, or in the case of a juvenile harbor seal that came into care this fall, gunshot wounds. Read more at www.sealifer3.org/impact-stories/a-preventable-tragedy-in-the-puget-sound

The Salish Sea is one body of water - not two countries - and our seals know it. #WildlifeConservationDay Four out of six of our satellite-tracked seals swam to Canada in the past year, traveling upwards of 150 miles!

Al Dente battled serious injuries, malnourishment and seizures, and he has needed a lot of intensive care. If you want to support Al Dente’s recovery, a generous donor will DOUBLE your gift before midnight today - up to a total of $10,000. sealifer3.donorsupport.co/page/GT25

This was Al Dente four months ago, when he came into care with severe trauma from a suspected dog bite. You can DOUBLE your impact for Al Dente this Giving Tuesday, and check in tomorrow at 12pm PST to see how his recovery is going! sealifer3.donorsupport.co/page/GT25

Good news - Oscar has returned to Des Moines!

Y’all voted on the designs, and here are the winners! New merch is live on our site at SR3.org/shop 🎉 And make sure you’re signed up for our emails to stay in the loop on upcoming Black Friday deals: SR3.org/join-the-community

After nine years of collecting moisture drops from the blow of North Atlantic right whales, scientists say they have a new tool for checking the health of these massive endangered animals. @whalesorg.bsky.social @sr3sealife.bsky.social @whoi.edu usatoday.com/story/news/n...

(1/3) SR3’s veterinary staff contributed our expertise and equipment to the rescue attempt of a humpback whale in Oregon on Sunday and Monday. www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-stor...

These Guadalupe fur seals were found severely underweight and dehydrated along the outer coast of Washington State in June. After more than three months of intensive care at SR3, they fully recovered and returned to the ocean again!

Don't forget this Wednesday at 430pm PDT (Pacific time) we have a great free webinar for you about monitoring Orca health with Dr. Holly Fearnbach of @sr3sealife.bsky.social and Dr. Deborah Giles of @seadocsociety.bsky.social! Register today! foundation.wwu.edu/event/photog...

We’re adding new apparel to our gift store - which design would you add to your cart? Comment your favorite below and the winner will be featured in our store 👕 Thanks to all of our incredible volunteers who submitted designs! These four were created by A) Adriana, B) Allie, C) Ro, and D) Sandy.

Animals out in the wild are facing a seasonal transition - pups who survived successfully with their mothers may be facing human-caused threats that leave them in need of care. Read about some of our fall cases at www.sealifer3.org/news/season-of-change

Most of our patients have graduated fish school and are competing for their meals with their fellow seals! This means they just have to reach a release weight of around 50 pounds before they can return to the ocean. Here we have Paparadelle, Vermicelli, and Udon striking poses.

Before and after x-rays of Linguine. One of the biggest differences is the thickness of her blubber layer. Image 1 was taken about 3 months ago, when she arrived at the Rescue Center because of maternal abandonment and malnutrition. Image 2 was taken 30 pounds later as she gets closer to release!

Dragon, the Rescue Center’s first patient in 2024, was seen again in the wild! She hangs out in Seattle, and is our most resighted patient. This time, she was captured on camera by animal husbandry volunteer, Lauren 🐲💙

Macaroni is back in the ocean!

First harbor seal release of the season!

After six months of sending location data to satellites, Naga the harbor seal has finally stopped phoning home. But while our insight into Naga’s journey has ended, there’s no hiding the fact that she was a well-traveled seal. Check out her journey at www.sealifer3.org/news/nagas-journey

Cheers to you and to our flippered Fish School graduates - fish mash margarita style! Thanks to your generous support ($28k of it!), many rescued seal pups now have the chance to eat fish, grow strong, and return to the wild where they belong.

Today’s your last chance to make a splash for hungry seal pups! Your gift will be matched, meaning you can deliver twice the meals for pups learning how to eat fish: sealifer3.donorsupport.co/page/fishdrive

This spring, staff from @thewhalemuseum.bsky.social, Cascadia Research Collective, and SR3 gathered in Olympia to practice whale disentanglement skills. Learn about the training and what it takes to become a responder at www.sealifer3.org/news/preparing-for-the-next-response

Don’t forget to tune in LIVE on Facebook or Instagram tomorrow, July 24 at 12pm PDT, when class will be in session - and you’ll have a front-row seat! www.facebook.com/share/1B6WH8...

Class is in session at SR3’s Seal Pup Schoolhouse! Join us on 7/24 at 12pm PST on Facebook or Instagram live for a behind-the-scenes look as our youngest patients take on one of their biggest challenges yet: learning how to eat fish.

SR3 admitted a second Guadalupe fur seal of the year at the end of June. Like the first, this young seal was found severely underweight and dehydrated and is now receiving critical medical care, hydration, and regular feeds to help her regain strength.

Meet the education and outreach team! If you see SR3 in the community, chances are you’ll see one of these folks as well, along with dozens of fantastic volunteers. We can’t wait to chat with you all about the ocean this summer 🌊

New science report identifies roadmap to aid in the recovery of endangered Southern Resident killer whales: www.raincoast.org/reports/reco...

Give a warm welcome to the Animal Husbandry Interns this year, Lily, Soline, and Caitlin!

Orzo, Gnocchi, and Macaroni are all at different stages of recovery at the Rescue Center. See what their meals look like at SR3.org/news/harbor-seal-meals.

You can vote for us in Best in the PNW every day for the next week! Go to votethepnw.com ➡️ Services ➡️ Nonprofit Organization ➡️ look for Sealife Response, Rehab and Research ✅ P.S. the list is not in alphabetical order, but you can also Ctrl F to find "Sealife" in the list!

June is Orca Action Month. This movement draws attention to one of our region’s most iconic and endangered species: the Southern Resident killer whale. Learn about three major threats facing these whales - and how you can help address them - at www.sealifer3.org/news/key-way...

It’s world sea turtle day, and to shell-ebrate, let’s talk about sea turtles in the Pacific Northwest ⬇️ www.sealifer3.org/news/sea-tur...

Orzo’s not the only harbor seal pup currently in care… meet Gnocchi and Macaroni! Both pups are cases of maternal abandonment. In order to keep moms and pups together in the wild, please keep your distance from marine mammals resting on beaches and keep your pets on a leash.

You voted: Meet Orzo! You can help fund Orzo’s care by signing up to make automatic gifts at SR3.org/?form=Wavemakers. Another ocean hero will even match your donations for an entire year! 🌊

SR3 continues to collect important seasonal data on the endangered population of Southern Resident killer whales. This study is now in its 18th year, making it the longest study to quantitatively monitor the health of these whales. www.sealifer3.org/news/2025-sp....

Join us on June 11 for our last chapter meeting until October. This month, Casey Mclean of SR3 will be presenting "On the Frontlines: Marine Mammal Response and Health Surveillance in a Changing Ocean". Please RSVP here: www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticket...

Arriving at the Rescue Center on May 18th, this days-old pup marks the start of harbor seal pupping season, and she needs a name! SR3's naming theme this year is "noodles” 🍝🍜 Cast your vote by the end of May at forms.gle/9muNNGQCSkgW... to help us decide which noodle this pup should be named after!

Almost one-third of the endangered Southern Resident killer whale population was recently found to be in poor body condition, based on measurements made from aerial photogrammetry images collected in late summer and fall 2024.

🚨 Harbor seal pupping season has begun in Washington State 🚨 This pup came into care on Saturday from the outer coast after she was separated from her mom before she was able to survive on her own in the wild.

Threatened or endangered species are animals that are at risk of extinction. Here are several that can be found in the PNW, and are protected under the Endangered Species Act: Loggerhead sea turtles Southern Resident killer whales Guadalupe fur seals North Pacific right whales

Time for a Naga pupdate!

The injured sea lion, locally named Oscar, we posted about on Tuesday was resighted! Our team administered an antibiotic to him this spring, and he hadn’t been seen since - until this week. These photos were taken during a break in the clouds yesterday afternoon!

A beloved sea lion, nicknamed Oscar by locals, returned to the docks this year with concerning injuries to his face and jaw - a powerful reminder of the dangers marine animals face every day.

We had a blast catching up with you all last weekend at the Open House! We’re so lucky to be a part of this incredible community!

From hours of training, to countless community conversations, to hundreds of pounds of garbage removed from the ocean, we can make a difference for marine life because of our volunteers 💙