Report an Emergency

If you see or hear about:

  • A stranded or entangled animal
  • Wildlife harassment
  • A vessel emergency, grounding, or abandonment
  • Debris, waste, or other hazardous materials being dumped or spilled

Please use the appropriate contact information below to report the issue.

To Report a Sanctuary Emergency or Marine Enforcement Issue

  • CalTIP (Californians Turn In Poachers & Polluters): 888-334-2258
  • United States Coast Guard (for a vessel emergency):
    • By marine radio: Channel 16 Marine Band Radio
    • By phone: 310-521-3600 (Sector LA/Long Beach emergency contact)
  • National Response Center (for a spill): 800-424-8802
  • NOAA Fisheries Enforcement Hotline (to report federal marine resource violations): 800-853-1964

Wildlife Reporting Hotlines

To report:

  • Stranded live marine mammals and sea turtles

  • Dead stranded whales, dolphins, and porpoises
    • Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties - Channel Islands Cetacean Research Unit: 805-500-6220

  • Dead stranded seals, sea lions, and sea turtles

  • Stranded sea otters
    • San Luis Obispo County and south (for live stranded sea otters) - The Marine Mammal Center Rescue Hotline: 415-289-7325
    • California Department of Fish and Wildlife - Mike Harris (for dead or live stranded sea otters): 831-212-7090

  • Live birds or terrestrial mammals (in distress)

  • Entangled marine mammals
    • Entanglement Reporting Hotline: 877-SOS-WHAL (877-767-9425)
    • The U.S. Coast Guard via marine radio: VHF Channel 16

  • Marine wildlife harassments and other violations to law enforcement
    • NOAA Fisheries Enforcement Hotline: 800-853-1964

  • Lost fishing gear

What information should you report?

  • Species or description of the animal
  • Location (region/landmarks and/or specific location like GPS coordinates)
  • Date and time the animal was last seen
  • Approximate size of the animal (length and weight), take a photo with a phone if possible
  • Condition of the animal (alive, dead, wounded, entangled, bleeding, etc.)
  • Human interactions (evidence of ship strike, entangled, shooting, etc.)
  • Tags or branding on the animal (if applicable)
  • Name and contact number for the person reporting the incident

If you see a stranded marine mammal or sea turtle, keep people and pets back a safe distance of at least 50 yards (150 feet).

A group of sea lions dive through the water in front of two humpback whales coming up for air.
Humpback whales and sea lions are some of the protected marine mammal species that may be impacted by stranding, entanglements, and other threats in Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: Robert Schwemmer/NOAA.