Marine Mammal Care Center050

The Marine Mammal Care Center - a hospital for ill, injured and orphaned marine mammals - is housed at Fort MacArthur. The facility primarily tends to California sea lions in need and is on the ready to respond, for example, any time an oil spill threatens our ocean-dwelling cousins.

Animal care can be viewed from across a fence behind the building, with visitors kept a safe distance from the animals. Staff and volunteers answer questions (10am-4pm) and explain the purpose and general operations of the Center, which is open for visitors during daylight hours. The facility also has a gift shop.

This place is a great way for kids to get a close-up view of sea lions without paying SeaWorld prices (a few dollars in the box is cheap, and a nice lesson, too). For kids who have been to SeaWorld, this is also a chance to see where some of the famous park's orphaned animals came from; the center sometimes preps sea lions to join the cast in San Diego if they cannot be safely released back to sea with their particular injuries.

The Center holds a Seal Day event each year in May.