Current Initiatives 

Sea lion rescues use a great deal of our time and resources. A majority of these rescues involve sea lions that bear obvious signs of some type of negative interaction with humans, primarily entanglements in fishing gear but sometimes injuries that are intentionally inflicted.

In addition to rescuing and disentangling sea lions within a few hours' radius of La Paz, we travel to rescue sea lions in other areas with significant human vs. wildlife conflict. 

MMWRC presently conducts 2-3 rescue campaigns in the Upper Gulf of California each year for entangled California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus). We spend up to two weeks in these areas to disentangle as many animals as we can, maximizing the use of our limited resources. With no less than 30-40 entangled sea lions that await rescue at any given time in our most targeted zones, the need persists and is never-ending. It is our goal to increase to 4-5 annual campaigns, and include two more heavily affected zones. At present we are only able to carry our this life saving working thanks to the generous financial contributions of companies like Cabo Dolphin. ​

It's important to not only rescue these animals, but raise awareness and change attitudes towards marine life. We are in need of support for these critical rescue campaigns. Help us make a measurable difference and speak up for marine wildlife!

* Sponsor a campaign and know that you are directly saving sea lions that face certain death as a result of careless and thoughtless actions. 

We have selected the locations for our next 3 satellite outposts based on volume of stranding reports. These sites need to be equipped with basic equipment and medical supplies so that an animal can be held and cared for, for up to 72 hours until transport to our facility can be arranged. We already have trained responders and veterinarians in these areas who will man these sites and work with us and the authorities on the rescues. The local community will also be involved in the set up and construction and made aware of our networks' physical presence in their area so that we can work together to protect marine wildlife! Help us expand our reach. 

*Donate to help us establish one or more of our satellite outposts and make your mark on marine conservation! Help us be where we are needed most!
 

This year has highlighted the need for us to have a designated emergency response fund for the next domoic acid outbreak. There is no government funding for rescue of affected marine mammals. We need support to attend the next event and transport the intoxicated sea lions for treatment. This requires several of our team members traveling to and staying near the impacted area, which will again likely be in northern Baja, for a few weeks time to attend all domoic acid related strandings with the local authorities. Response includes community outreach and education to raise awareness about DA events which are increasing in frequency and severity. If you live in the Rosarito/Ensenada area please consider donating for this fund, or creating a fundraiser within your community to help us take immediate action the next time this occurs. We need your help to be prepared!

We need to remain on the ready for a whale rescue at any moment. When we get a call for an entangled whale we spring into action! Our National whale entanglement network RABEN helps coordinate our efforts and resources, but each team maintains their own set of equipment and tools. Our La Paz team is particularly busy due to our geographic location just inside the Gulfo de California where tired whales may seek refuge, Mum's and calves may hang about after the breeding season, and a plethora of cetacean species visit throughout the year. We have an excellent success rate thanks to our highly skilled and experienced team, but each rescue we see wear and tear on our gear, damage to our custom tools, and loss of some equipment in the process. We are seeking financial support and equipment sponsors for whale rescues. Remember, these are the exact same whales you can observe all the way up the Pacific coast to Alaska. We're in a prime location to help them, but we need support.

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*We are need of a donation for the purchase and maintenance of our specialty equipment and tools. *We also gratefully accept additional items that we always need; outboard engines, mooring buoys, marine rope, mechanics gloves, life jackets, helmets, apparel, other marine equipment, and gasoline vouchers

*To sponsor a single whale rescue, please also contact us. 

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We are in need of a small central location in downtown La Paz to safely store rescue equipment and expedite rescues. Our facility is located outside of town and we end up storing gear at our homes when we are on call for rescues. This complicates access and logistics, and has highlighted the need for a centralized storage location. Due to our growth as an organization, an ideal location will also serve as a headquarters for our office and allow us to 1) be available to the public during office hours, 2) provide a workspace for our team and for students and interns fulfilling academic requirements with MMWRC, and 3) serve as a small retail space where we can generate some income for MMWRC. Most of our volunteers don't have a car, so a central location will also allow them to spend more time working with the team and act as our hub. This space will help us make big strides with our community outreach initiatives and save us valuable time in wildlife rescues!

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*If you can help us purchase or lease a space please contact us. If you have a property you are willing to lease to us as a donation for the next

2-10 years, please contact us. 

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Our rescue boat (panga) and inflatable Zodiac are in need of repairs and maintenance which we hope to undertake during our slow summer season. We are asking for funds to get our vessels in good working order and purchase a boat trailer to ensure we can attend all rescues and continue our wildlife monitoring programs. 

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Part of these funds will also be allocated to getting a second rescue boat that we recently acquired outfitted for our needs. This vessel is used for for support crew on whale and sea lion rescues, and is more conformable for long monitoring and researcher trips. This second vessel will be invaluable to us in the field.

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*If you have a boat, outboard boat engine, or rigid inflatable (zodiac), or boat trails (27") that you no longer need, please consider donating these items to us. If you do fiberglass repairs or boat engine repairs here in La Paz or the Los Cabos areas and want to donate your time and services we would greatly appreciate it. ​​

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