SR³ - Sealife Response, Rehabilitation & Research

06/17/2026

Our whale research team was hard at work this spring, collecting blow samples from gray whales who stop in the Puget Sound during their annual migration.

Our drone-based work usually includes body condition measurements, and this year we added microbiome sampling as well. These samples will be analyzed to further assess individual health, provide important baseline information, and allow for the diagnosis of disease and other underlying health conditions.

06/16/2026

We’re excited to introduce you to Chad, SR3's new Individual Giving Officer. Chad has spent more than 35 years building relationships and creating meaningful experiences in both the hospitality and nonprofit sectors.

A lifelong animal lover with a passion for the ocean and conservation, Chad felt an immediate connection to SR3's work – and we are thrilled to welcome him to the team!

06/12/2026

Introducing patient live streams! Once a month you’ll get to watch our patients from 12-1pm PDT, and the first one will be next Thursday the 18th. Make sure you're signed up for our emails to get the link ➡️ sr3.org/join-the-community

06/10/2026

Last week during Capital Hill Ocean Week, SR3’s executive director, Casey Mclean, gathered with experts from around the country to launch a new organization to strengthen marine mammal rescue and response.

https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/animal-care/patient-journey/rescue/national-stranding-association

📷Leading experts on marine mammal response gathered in DC to coordinate the start of this association.

06/08/2026

Happy World Ocean Day 🌊

“¾ of the animals” comes from a really cool paper by Bar-On et al. estimating biomass on our planet. They break up the biomass into plants, animals, bacteria, and more, and specify what habitats that biomass primarily lives in. They also estimate how much impact humans have had on these numbers, like how whaling decreased the marine mammal biomass in the oceans by a factor of five.

📄 Y.M. Bar-On,R. Phillips, & R. Milo, The biomass distribution on Earth, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 115 (25) 6506-6511, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1711842115 (2018)

📷 all filmed in the Puget Sound around Seattle!

06/03/2026

Meet the harbor seal pups! 🦭

05/30/2026

Harbor seal pups are not the only animal we have in care currently - on the other end of the size chart we have a male California sea lion who stranded in Seattle last week.

SR3 and Sno-King Marine Mammal Response, along with help from Seattle Parks and Recreation, responded to this sea lion at Golden Gardens beach on May 21st. He was lethargic and malnourished, had a swollen shoulder, and was brought back to SR3 for medical help. Stay tuned for updates on this patient.

05/29/2026

Hat tag 101! 🎩🦭

05/28/2026

🚨 Pupping season is underway in Washington State 🚨

The first harbor seal pup of the summer arrived at the Rescue Center on Sunday. The young pup was likely orphaned due to human disturbance after people were reportedly seen dragging him toward the water. Named Crumpet, he is now receiving treatment at SR3 for malnutrition and pneumonia.

Please stay 100 yards away from marine mammals resting on beaches. While we can care for cases like this, it is always better for mom and pup to remain together in the wild.

05/27/2026

Eggs Benedict, or “Benny,” was a harbor seal who had been shot. We provided months of critical care, food, and medical interventions to give her a second chance, but unfortunately she passed away last week. Read her story at www.sealifer3.org/impact-stories/another-seal-lost-from-human-violence.

Thanks to our Stranding Network Partner Center Valley Animal Rescue for responding to her in Hood Canal in February.

By Kate Hruby , Communication and Education Coordinator