Wild Pacific Rescue

We are embedded with world-renowned marine mammal veterinarian, “Dr. Marty” Haulena and the young, dedicated animal care specialists as they rescue, rehabilitate, and release some of the most fascinating animals on the planet.

Dr. Marty leads a highly skilled and fiercely loyal team of veterinarians and vet technologists. Their mission is to head out into the wild to find and treat some of the most iconic and vulnerable creatures in the sea. They tend to  sick, injured or distressed marine mammals and other aquatic species -- from pint-sized sea otter pups to 1500 pound sea lions, and everything in between. Their motto? “Every animal counts.” Dr. Marty’s team is like a family, bound together by their shared responsibility for the rescue and rehabilitation of wild animals, and for the ongoing care of  thousands of creatures living at the Vancouver Aquarium.

The stakes are high and the drama is real. Treating a giant California sea lion shot by a crossbow bolt, rescuing a lost and hypothermic sea turtle 2000 miles from its tropical home, rushing a critically ill sea otter into triage -- these are some of the typical challenges faced by the rescue team. The animals are wild and unpredictable, the weather and seas are constantly changing. The work is challenging, often dangerous, but always rewarding. Saving animals and keeping them wild, that’s the mission of the Ocean Wise Marine Mammal Rescue Centre.