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Do you know of a marine mammal that appears to have stranded somewhere in Whatcom County?  If so, please  DO NOT APPROACH THE ANIMAL, even if the animal is dead.    Instead, please call the Stranding Response Coordinators for the Whatcom Marine Mammal Stranding Network: Northwest Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at 360-966-8845 or Mariann Carrasco,  360-303-3608. They will dispatch a trained volunteer to the site of the stranding to evaluate the health and safety of the animal. If you know of a marine mammal that appears to have stranded somewhere other than Whatcom County, here are links to the other Marine Mammal Stranding Networks on the Pacific Coast (including Southern British Columbia). Why should you NOT approach stranded marine mammals?  First of all, stranded marine mammals often carry diseases that can be transmitted to humans or other warm-blooded animals (like pet dogs).  Even if the animal is dead, these diseases can still be transmitted.  If you want to read some technical information on this, follow these links: http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/whc/mmz/bacteria.htm http://www.sefsc.noaa.gov/PDFdocs/Marine_Mammal_Zoonoses_Final_Report.pdf Also, if a stranded marine mammal really is sick, it can be extremely vulnerable to disturbances from humans and their pets (especially dogs). In addition to being a bad idea for health reasons, did you know that it is also a Federal crime to approach, harass, or otherwise interfere with a marine mammal, even if it is dead?  It's true:  all marine mammal species in the United States are Federally protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, or MMPA.  Some species, like Steller sea lions, have even higher levels of protection through the Endangered Species Act, or ESA. So please don't run the risk of harming yourself, your pet, or a stranded marine mammal.  Give us a call, and one of our trained volunteers will go evaluate the situation.