Marine Mammal Stranding Center

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Brigantine, NJ
Marine Mammal Stranding Center

MMSC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to the
RESCUE, REHABILITATION & RELEASE of marine mammals

All photography/videography of marine mammals on this page is conducted under a Stranding Agreement between NOAA NMFS and the Marine Mammal Stranding Center under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

11/09/2024

LIVE FROM MMSC PUP STRUT! 🦭

11/08/2024

Thank you Sheila Watko from NBC10 Philadelphia for featuring MMSC's 4th Annual Pup Strut! We're going to have beautiful weather tomorrow! ☀️Online registration closes today at 2pm, but we are accepting SAME DAY REGISTRATIONS, so if you haven't already signed up, you can still come out and strut with your pup! Check in begins at 9:00am with the walk starting at 10:00am. For event info or to register online today, please visit https://www.classy.org/event/pup-strut-2024/e588533

Get ready for a paw-some good time at the Jersey Shore this weekend. Philly Live’s Sheila Watko shares how you and your favorite four-legged friend can enjoy this year’s Pup Strut.

11/07/2024

MMSC Pup Strut is this Saturday and we can't wait to spend a beautiful fall morning on the beach filled with your amazing canine companions! 🐕🍂🐾 Join us for this fun family-friendly event and help raise awareness of the seal pups that will be resting on our beaches this winter. 🦭 Every dog registered receives a reusable goodie bag with a "Cupid the Seal" bandana, pop-up water bowl and other fun surprises! Enjoy music, dog-friendly vendors and photo ops with our mascot "Luseal"! Register online today at https://www.classy.org/event/pup-strut-2024/e588533

11/06/2024

Harbor seals always find the best resting spots, even if it means commandeering someone's dinghy. 🦭

11/05/2024

🐢Helping sea turtles is as easy as taking a walk! As the ocean temperature drops, sea turtles can wash up on the beach cold-stunned. To help us monitor for these animals, we ask that you visit your local beach to take a walk, keep an eye out for any stranded sea turtles, and pick up any trash that you see!
1. Keep the MMSC 24-hour hotline 609-266-0538 and Sea Turtle Recovery hotline (609) 667-4076 saved in your cellphone.
2. Cold-stunning can make it very difficult to tell if a sea turtle is alive or dead, so please STILL CALL even if you think the animal is deceased.
2. Check the wrack line (the high tide mark where seaweed and shells gather on the beach) for any turtles or litter that may be buried within it.
3. Do NOT attempt to warm the turtle up or move it - you may end up doing more harm than good. Call us immediately for further instructions!
4. Please take all trash with you to dispose of properly.
Thank you for helping us keep an eye out for sea turtles in need of help! 🐢

11/04/2024

Breaking news: Weather Seal is back with the forecast for this Saturday's Pup Strut event. It will be sunny and mild, making it a beautiful morning for a walk on the beach with your pup! 🌞🐾🐶
Make sure to save time at check-in and register now! https://www.classy.org/event/pup-strut-2024/e588533 Same day registrations will be accepted on Saturday morning starting at 9:00am, cash or credit card accepted.

11/04/2024

The seals have returned! We had our first confirmed seal sighting reported yesterday, a Harbor seal in northern New Jersey.🦭
After making a marathon swim from the north, seals need to haul out to get much-needed rest. The sights and sounds of humans can be stressful and cause seals to go back into the water before they are ready. Please remember your "seal etiquette" by keeping people and pets at least 150 feet away to allow them to rest undisturbed. Not sure what this looks like? Give the seal a "thumbs up"- if you can still see the seal behind your thumb, you're too close. Please help keep seals "incognito" by not sharing their locations on social media. Remember to call our hotline (609) 266-0538 to report sightings, and please help us spread the word by sharing this post with others. Thank you for helping keep the seals safe! - MMSC Staff

11/03/2024

All the feels. ⏰

11/01/2024

On Wednesday October 30th the Marine Mammal Stranding Center responded to a very disturbing call. The partial remains of a dolphin had been discovered on the beach at Allen Ave. in Allenhurst, NJ. When our Stranding Coordinator arrived, he found a Common dolphin that appeared to have been butchered. The animal’s flesh had been completely removed with clean cuts from a sharp instrument, leaving only the head, dorsal fin and flukes. The animal’s organs, except for the heart and lungs, had been removed.
The night before this animal was discovered, a live Common dolphin was reported struggling in the surf one block away. Witnesses reported that the dolphin was able to make it over the sandbar and swam back out. It is unknown if this was the same animal.
The dolphin’s remains were brought to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center to be thoroughly documented and photographed by MMSC staff. The carcass was buried on the beach. This case is currently under investigation by the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement. The public is asked to call MMSC’s 24-hour hotline if they have any information about this case (609) 266-0538.

11/01/2024

Did you know sea turtles don't have teeth? Sea turtles have a hard beak made out of keratin that they use to eat sea grasses and small invertebrates like jellyfish. Some species of sea turtles also use their beaks like a nutcracker to crush hard-shelled prey like whelks.
photo 📷 J.Cotten

10/31/2024

We hope you are having a Happy Halloween filled with lots of treats!
Which is your favorite MMSC jack-o-lantern? 🎃 Vote below!

10/31/2024

Happy Halloween from the Marine Mammal Stranding Center! 🎃

10/30/2024

MMSC Pup Strut is coming up on Saturday November 9th and we can't wait to spend a beautiful fall morning on the beach filled with wagging tails, puppy kisses and sandy paws! 🐕🍂🐾 Join us for this fun family-friendly event and help raise awareness of the seal pups that will be resting on our beaches this winter. 🦭 Every dog registered receives a reusable goodie bag with a "Cupid the Seal" bandana, pop-up water bowl and other surprises! There will also be pet friendly vendors and a DJ playing all of our favorite dog related tunes! No dog? No problem! You can register yourself to walk with us and still receive the goodie bag! Register online today at https://www.classy.org/event/pup-strut-2024/e588533

10/30/2024

Pup Strut is only ten days away! Join us on November 9th for a fun morning filled with music, pet-friendly vendors , and a walk on beautiful Brigantine beach with your pup to benefit the MMSC. ✌️💙🦭🐾
Our friends from The Humane Society of Atlantic County will be on hand with adoptable dogs, so you might meet your new best friend! Bark House Bakery will have a great selection of homemade dog treats, and Let's Get Bananas will have snacks available for both you and your furry friend...and yes, there will be coffee! Make sure to stop by the MMSC Gift Shop table to pick up some swag for you and your dog, or to partake in our silent auction. There will be several great pet-centric baskets, and this beautiful dog-themed blanket is sure to be the star of our silent auction!
Save time by registering your pup online at the following link- https://www.classy.org/event/pup-strut-2024/e588533

10/30/2024

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.

10/29/2024

FALL HOURS 🍂 The Sea Life Museum will be open SATURDAYS only 10am-2pm. We can't wait to "sea" you here! 🍁*Please note that on Saturday November 9th we will be opening at 10:30am due to Pup Strut 🐾

Address

3625 Brigantine Boulevard
Brigantine, NJ
08203

Opening Hours

10am - 2pm

Telephone

+16092660538

Website

http://www.mmsc.org/

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Videos

LIVE FROM MMSC PUP STRUT! 🦭

On Thursday August 29th the Marine Mammal Stranding Center responded to a report of a deceased dolphin entangled in a net floating close to shore in Long Branch, NJ. Under the direction of MMSC’s Stranding Coordinator, the Long Branch Beach Patrol pulled the dolphin ashore and secured it until our team arrived on scene. MMSC Stranding Staff examined and documented the dolphin and the entanglement. The animal was an adult male Bottlenose dolphin, measuring 7.6 feet in length and weighing approximately 350lbs. The net was tightly wrapped around the dolphin’s body, with ligature wounds evident around the head and peduncle (tail stock). A large shark bite wound was present near the blowhole and had occurred post-mortem. The carcass was moderately decomposed, and therefore no longer viable for further biological sampling. Long Branch Department of Public Works disposed of the carcass at their facility. Two smooth dogfish and a fluke were also found entangled in the net. The net was removed from the dolphin and brought back to MMSC for further documentation. Once the staff was able to fully stretch out the net, which was twisted upon itself through a hole in the netting, it measured 9 feet deep and 66 feet in length. The net is being retained for any further investigations. We would like to thank the Long Branch Beach Patrol and the Long Branch Department of Public Works for their assistance with this case.

Watch the full release video on our page!

SEAL-abrating our final release of the 2023-2024 season! 🦭🎉 We are happy to announce that Grey seal #23-098 (Long Branch) has been released back into the wild! This marked a very happy ending to her four-month long rehabilitation journey. She stranded on April 17th suffering from an extremely swollen right front flipper due to an abscess, which had blown up her flipper to more than three times its normal size. Further diagnostic testing revealed that she has sustained fractures to several smaller bones of her flipper. As the swelling subsided with treatment, loose bone fragments worked their way out of the wound. The infection resolved, bringing her flipper back to normal size. We initially had concerns that the flipper would need to be amputated due to the bone involvement. However, as the injury continued to heal with treatment, she regained function in her right front flipper. We are happy to report that she is able to use her flipper normally for hauling out of the water, swimming, and manipulating fish as she eats. On Tuesday morning, the Stranding Team returned this spunky survivor back to the freedom of the ocean. Safe travels, little girl! 🦭THANK YOU to all of our incredible supporters for giving this special seal a second chance at life in the wild! We couldn't do this important work without YOU! ❤️

MMSC Live Patient Update 🦭 Check in with our final patient of the season!

Live from Suds for Seal at Hidden Sand Brewing Company!🦭🍻

MMSC Live Patient Update 🦭Visit with our patients and learn about their progress through their rehabilitation journey!

Turtle Tuesday 🐢 at MMSC with Garden State Tortoise! Here's a clip of the Diamondback Terrapin part of the presentation!

MMSC Live Patient Update 🦭 Watch the full video on Facebook and Instagram!

MMSC Live Patient Update 🦭Join us on rounds to visit with the two Grey seals recovering in our rehabilitation hospital!

Foraging Enrichment with Grey seal #24-098 (Long Branch)

Nothing better on a hot day than a nice, cold herring popsicle! 🐟 Enrichment activities such as this help provide Grey seal #24-098 (Long Branch) a stimulating environment while in rehabilitation, encouraging her to explore and express her natural foraging behaviors while getting plenty of physical activity.

MMSC Live Patient Update 🦭 Catch the full video on Facebook and Instagram!

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Our Story

We are the only federally authorized rescue facility for sick and injured wild marine mammals and sea turtles in the State of NJ. Our museum & gift shop are open to the public where you can watch recovering animals remotely via our big-screen tv. We also hold several fun and educational programs throughout the summer for families. Our events and donations from the public are the only way that we can continue the work we do to help these fragile species.