Marine Mammal Care Center: LAUSD Center For Marine Studies

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. At nightfall, a delivery driver parked outside the Marine Mammal Care Center and muttered under his breath, ‘Why do I always get stuck here?’ Suddenly, he heard a voice from behind him: ‘Because you’re our best patient!’ The delivery driver turned around, expecting to see some mischievous sea lion, but instead found himself face-to-face with a sleepy-looking dolphin in a lab coat. The dolphin yawned and said, 'Just one more shift, then I’m off for my nap.' The driver laughed and shook his head, muttering, ‘Next time I’ll know better than to deliver after dark.’

2. At dawn, a delivery driver parked his truck near the Marine Mammal Care Center. As he unloaded crates of fish, he noticed something odd: every time he dropped off food for the animals, an extra box appeared in the backseat of his truck. Finally curious, the driver followed his truck and saw a friendly old neighbor pushing a shopping cart filled with empty boxes. ‘Hey,’ said the neighbor, smiling, “I thought you could use these extra boxes for your marine mammals!” The driver laughed, realizing it was just another neighborhood prank.

3. At lunchtime, a delivery driver pulled up to the Marine Mammal Care Center and noticed something peculiar: every time he left his truck running, the center’s security lights dimmed just enough for him to see a shadowy figure darting between buildings. Finally curious, the delivery driver followed the shadow one day—and found himself face-to-face with a mischievous sea lion pup playing hide-and-seek behind a dumpster. The next morning, everyone in the neighborhood brought their lunches to work, thinking they’d finally discovered the secret of the disappearing lights.

4. At dusk, a delivery driver parked his truck next to the Marine Mammal Care Center. Scanning the empty lot, he noticed something odd in an old shopping cart: a small sea otter pup, fast asleep among plastic bags. The delivery driver gently picked up the sleeping otter and took it inside. Turns out, it was just a prank by a neighbor who loved practical jokes—every year around that time, someone left a fake sea otter in the cart. The staff laughed it off, knowing exactly what had happened. As the sun set over the center, everyone went home with a smile, ready for another day of marine mammal care.