Providing rescue, rehabilitation and a home for animals in need
Georgia Aquarium is a leader in marine research and conservation. Our experts travel the world, teaming up with other scientists to learn more about aquatic animals in their natural habitats, and to lend a hand on occasions when the animals are in need.
These efforts include helping to rehabilitate and release abandoned African penguin chicks in South Africa, and traveling to California to care for and release stranded sea lion pups.
At times when an injured, abandoned or threatened animal has been rescued but would not survive in its natural habitat, it may be given a forever home and the care it needs to thrive at Georgia Aquarium.
Saving stranded California sea lion pups
In a healthy environment, a male California sea lion will grow up to weigh around 770 lbs. But in recent years, thousands of sea lion pups have faced starvation, as their mothers have had to travel farther and farther away from pupping grounds in search of food.
When these malnourished pups wash ashore, marine mammal centers in California rehabilitate and release as many as they can. But if a sea lion is injured, or continues to come ashore in search of food, it may be deemed non-releasable by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA Fisheries) and need a permanent home.
Providing a home for seven rescued sea lions
In 2015, when an unprecedented 3,000 starving pups were stranded along the coast of California, Georgia Aquarium welcomed two of them—Neptune and Jupiter—into our permanent care. They joined four other rescued sea lions that had also been deemed non-releasable after being stranded.
Our most recent rescue is Hunter, who joined us in early 2017 after he was found injured and emaciated near Huntington Beach. All of our sea lions now have a forever home, where they receive top care from our veterinarians and animal care staff.
Protecting endangered whale sharks
Whale sharks may be the largest fish on the planet, but that hasn’t protected them from becoming an endangered species. Over the years, fishermen from various countries have collected and sold them at local fish markets. Ocean plastic and other debris also continue to threaten this remarkable species.
Georgia Aquarium’s whale sharks were acquired from Taiwanese fishermen who were permitted to collect them. At the time, Taiwan allowed a limited number of whale sharks to be harvested each year, and these sharks were part of that quota. By acquiring whale sharks directly from these local fishermen, we prevented them from going to a fish market and instead brought these incredible animals to their new home in Atlanta, where they now serve as ambassadors for their species.
Ocean Voyager's fantastic foursome
In 2006, two female whale sharks, Alice and Trixie, were carefully transported in special fiberglass containers aboard a UPS 747 to the Aquarium, accompanied by a team of animal care and veterinary experts. In 2007, they were joined by two male whale sharks, Yushan, which means “Jade Mountain,” and Taroko, named after a national park in Taiwan.
Today, all four are thriving in their home at our Ocean Voyager Built by The Home Depot exhibit, which was specifically designed to house these magnificent sharks and a few thousand other aquatic animals. Check out this webcam to see the whale sharks at Georgia Aquarium.
Helping threatened sea turtles
There are six species of sea turtles in the U.S., and all of them are listed under the Endangered Species Act. Sea turtles face a variety of threats, including destruction of their nesting grounds, boat strikes, fishing gear entanglement and egg harvesting.
More than 20 years ago, a certain green sea turtle, now known as Tank, encountered another type of threat—he was bitten by a shark. Tank was rescued and rehabilitated from that injury, but was deemed non-releasable into the ocean.
Tank finds a home and a new purpose
In 2015, Tank was moved from our partner facility, Marineland Dolphin Adventure in Florida, to Georgia Aquarium. Now a robust 440 pounds, Tank serves as an ambassador for all sea turtles, inspiring our visitors to learn how they can help conserve these reptiles and their nesting grounds along our coastlines. Check out Ocean Voyager for a glimpse of Tank.
In addition to providing a forever home for Tank, the Aquarium is dedicated to educating current and future generations about the challenges sea turtles face in the ocean and on their nesting beaches along the Georgia coast.
Our legacy of helping southern sea otters begins
Sea otters have faced many challenges in their chilly coastal Pacific habitat, leading to this species being listed as “Endangered” on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Sea otter pups are particularly vulnerable—these young animals must learn necessary life skills from their mothers at a very early age in order to thrive. If a pup becomes separated from its mother, its chances of survival decrease dramatically.
When Georgia Aquarium first opened in 2005, one of our first sea otters was Gracie, who had been rescued and deemed non-releasable after being abandoned as a pup in California. She was joined by Oz, a southern sea otter born and raised by his mother at another zoological institution.
Giving three more orphaned sea otter pups a home
Georgia Aquarium is dedicated to preserving this incredible species, and works in cooperation with other members of the zoological community to do so. In 2010, when Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Sea Otter Outreach and Conservation Program had too many orphaned pups to care for and not enough surrogate sea otter moms available, they asked us to provide a permanent home for three pups in need—Brighton, Bixby, and Cruz.
With our highly trained personnel and expansive facilities, we are committed to rescuing, rehabilitating and providing specialized care for southern sea otters at all stages of their lives.