Marine Mammal Stranding Center

11/02/2026

We had a FULL hospital this weekend at the Marine Mammal Stranding Center - but this time the guests were of the two-legged variety! Thank you to all everyone who attended MMSC's Pod Members Open House! Our members had the rare opportunity to partake in a behind the scenes tour of our rehabilitation hospital facilities, see stranding equipment demonstrations and talk one-on-one with our entire staff. Thank you for your ongoing support of MMSC's mission and the animals that we serve. We could not do this important work without YOU! ❤️

10/31/2026

🎃 Happy Halloween from the Marine Mammal Stranding Center! 👻

We hope you enjoyed this year’s Fun Fact Pumpkin Patch series as much as we enjoyed sharing it with you! 🎃 Please join us in giving a big thank-you to our amazingly talented and crafty Stranding Technician, Vanessa, for carving this year’s incredible pumpkins! 🖤🧡

Have a safe and spooktacular Halloween! 🕸️

10/30/2026

How about this "turtle-ly" awesome pumpkin in our Fun Fact Pumpkin Patch- just in time for Halloween! 🎃
Did you know that sea turtles cannot retract their head and flippers into their shells? Their anatomy makes them more agile when swimming in the ocean, but also highly vulnerable when nesting and hatching. 🐢

10/30/2026

10/30/2026

In honor of National First Responders Day, we’re sending a tidal wave of appreciation to the heroes who stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Marine Mammal Stranding Center! 🌊🦭

From police departments and park rangers who help manage crowds during stranding responses, to fire departments and EMTs who assist with moving stranded animals, and the U.S. Coast Guard and Marine Police units who get our team out on the water to rescue entangled sea turtles, our lifesaving work wouldn’t be possible without you.

Thank you for always answering the call, keeping our team safe, and helping us protect New Jersey’s marine wildlife. We are grateful for your partnership and dedication! 🚢⚓️🚓🚒

10/29/2026

Today's Fun Fact Pumpkin Patch features Harp seal pups! 🎃🦭

Did you know Harp seal pups are born without a thick layer of blubber? Instead, they rely on a fluffy, snow-white coat called lanugo. This dense, woolly fur traps air and absorbs sunlight to keep the "whitecoats" warm on the Arctic ice. Lanugo isn't waterproof, so the pups stay safely on the ice and out of the water for their first 2 to 3 weeks as they build up their insulating layer of blubber. Once they complete their very first molt, they shed the lanugo to reveal a waterproof, silvery-gray juvenile coat with dark spots, officially transitioning into their next life stage.

10/28/2026

Halloween is coming and we've got a whale of a jack-o-lantern to share with you! 🎃
Did you know that whales are divided into two main groups? Baleen whales have fibrous baleen plates in their mouths instead of teeth, helping them to filter large amounts of krill and other small prey items from the water. Toothed whales have teeth which enable them to feed on bigger prey such as large fish, squid and even other marine mammals. 🐋 Stay tuned for more posts from the Fun Fact Pumpkin Patch! 🎃

10/27/2026

Having a “sealy” good time carving pinnipeds on our pumpkins! 🎃 Did you know that four seal species visit New Jersey in winter? Grey, Harbor, Harp, and (occasionally) even Hooded seals!

🦭 If you spot a seal on the beach, remember:

Stay at least 150 feet away.

Never share its location on social media.

Let it rest undisturbed! Seals need to rest on land after swimming and diving. Approaching or forcing them into the water can cause stress or injury.

📞 Report sightings to our 24-hour hotline at 609-266-0538.

Please share this Fun Fact Pumpkin Patch post to help spread the word and keep our visitors safe. Thank you! 🧡

10/27/2026

'WOW! Did you see how many Amazon packages were delivered last week!?!?"
We are sending our Seal of Approval 🦭🏆to Lorraine, Julie, Kristine, Helen, Darin and several anonymous supporters for donating much-needed items from our Amazon Wish List last week! Thank you for keeping our hospital well-stocked and running smoothly for our patients.❤️

10/26/2026

Halloween is coming and our staff is having a "fintastic" time at the Fun Fact Pumpkin Patch! 🎃
Do you know that mother dolphins sing to their babies in the womb? 🎶
During their final trimester, pregnant dolphins repeatedly whistle their own "signature whistle"—the dolphin equivalent of a human name—to their unborn calves. This prenatal singing helps the calf imprint on its mother's whistle. Once the calf is born, the mother will even alter her pitch when addressing her baby, just like human "baby talk". While calves initially learn or mimic elements of their mother's or pod's sounds, they eventually develop and use their own unique signature whistle as they grow. 🐬