Marine Mammal Rescue Day
Marine Mammal Rescue Day is celebrated on April 27 annually. It is a holiday initiative by the state of California’s Senate. This day honors the people who have made a positive difference in the lives of marine mammals, such as wildlife biologists, veterinarians, and animal care specialists. It is also a day to consider our individual contributions to climate change that affect marine mammals’ lives. For the west coast, spring is the peak of animal rescue season owing to disease and famine. Action is conducted by marine mammal rescue organizations.
History of Marine Mammal Rescue Day
Toni Atkins, a California State Senator, passed the bill that designates April 27 as Marine Mammal Rescue Day. The celebration began in 2017. Gratitude is also given to the Marine Mammal Stranding Network for its continued dedication to the rescue, rehabilitation, and return of creatures stranded off the coast of California. The Marine Mammal Rescue Day celebration may be fairly recent, but the work of these marine mammal rescues has been in existence for far longer.
In 1975, The Marine Mammal Center (T.M.M.C.), formerly known as The California Marine Mammal Center, a private and non-profit organization based in the United States was founded to rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured, ill, or abandoned marine animals. Lloyd Smalley, Pat Arrigoni, and Paul Maxwell created it in Sausalito, California. T.M.M.C. has rescued nearly 23,000 marine mammals since 1975. It also acts as a research and education facility for marine animals such as whales, dolphins, pinnipeds (seals, walruses, and sea lions), otters, manatees, and dugongs.
Many water species require medical assistance due to illness or damage. Polluted waters, marine trash, and illegal fishing gears injure and kill aquatic life in general. The ocean has been polluted and tainted as a result of human acts and inaction. The waters have warmed as a result of climate change, and the patterns in which fish swim have changed. Young marine mammals are frequently unable to travel long distances or dive deep enough to get the food they require. All types of aquatic life are harmed by illegal fishing gear, pollution, and garbage. This is where aquatic mammal rescuers and specialists come in, devoting their time, energy, and resources to safeguard the safety of the marine life that we all should care about.
Marine Mammal Rescue Day timeline
1972
Marine Mammal Protection Act
President Richard Nixon signs the Marine Mammal Protection Act (M.M.P.A.) into law, establishing a national policy.
1975
The Marine Mammal Center
The Marine Mammal Center (T.M.M.C.), a private and non-profit organization based in the United States, is founded.
1992
Foundation for Marine Animal Husbandry
The Foundation for Marine Animal Husbandry, a nonprofit organization in Florida, opens.
2017
Marine Mammal Rescue Day
Toni Atkins, a California State Senator, creates Marine Mammal Rescue Day through a bill.
Marine Mammal Rescue Day FAQs
What are baby whales called?
Baby whales are referred to as ‘calves.’
What are the kinds of marine mammals?
Cetaceans, pinnipeds, sirenians, and marine fissipeds are the four taxonomic groups that make up marine mammals.
Do dolphins lay eggs?
Dolphins are mammals. Thus, they do not lay eggs. Instead, they give live birth to their young.
How to Observe Marine Mammal Rescue Day
Reduce, reuse, recycle: Simple steps to improve your actions to assist in reducing marine body pollution can make a tremendous difference. Reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as possible. Single-use plastic should be avoided and other trash should be disposed of sustainably.
Learn about ocean conservation: Learn as much as you can about ocean conservation. Discover what it entails and how you can help. Know about ocean conservation organizations and consider donating to support their objectives.
Volunteer yourself: Make yourself available to help marine conservation charities. Joining and volunteering with beach cleanup is one of many ways to do so. It may not seem like much but if everyone performed their modest part, we could have a significant influence collectively.
5 Interesting Facts About Marine Mammals
Sea otters have deft hands: Sea otters have deft hands for smashing sea urchins off rocks.
Sleeping with one eye open: Dolphins only sleep with one half of their brain and one eye closed at a time.
Semi-aquatic creatures: Sea lions are semi-aquatic creatures.
Penguin proposal: During mating season, several species of male penguins "propose" to their lady with a pebble.
Elephant relatives: Manatees are related to elephants and have more in common with them than they do with dolphins or whales.
Why Marine Mammal Rescue Day is Important
Human and marine life interaction: Whale watching benefits local economies in a variety of ways. According to studies, people can derive economic benefits from simply knowing that marine mammals are present and healthy even if they are unable to see them.
Marine mammal protection: The Marine Mammal Protection Act protects all 125 species of marine mammals that live in American waters. This makes it illegal to harm a marine mammal in any way that would interfere with its normal behavior.
It promotes a healthy ocean ecosystem: Maintaining the equilibrium of marine ecosystems requires robust marine mammal populations. Reduced numbers of whales, dolphins, or seals can have unpredictably negative consequences for other key species such as fish, birds, and invertebrates.
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