When we found ourselves in Santa Barbara, CA, we had no idea we would spend our time rescuing wildlife. At all. Let alone multiple times. But rescue wildlife, we did.

I’d forgotten that one could act as a volunteer wildlife first responder while traveling, by simply watching out for wildlife in need, and then choosing to help.

I find this embarrassing to realize because I’ve worked as a wildlife rescue, rehab, and release volunteer for two organizations. Yet I somehow forgot all of this.

Thank goodness my partner was paying close attention on his daily beach walks. Thank goodness he found meaning in helping (not hating or killing) wildlife.

I’m so grateful for his awareness. I’m so grateful for his care. I’m so grateful for his requests.

He became the wildlife first responder and ambulance driver. I became his assistant.

I must emphasize that we always first called the local wildlife rescue organizations before we did anything. Then we did exactly what they told us to do.

Santa Barbara Wildlife Rescue Network | I found an animal
Marine Mammal Rescue | I found an animal

After calling the rescue organizations, we discovered they had low staff availability, so we had to provide more help per their instructions, which included taking careful photos…

only from a distance, using telephoto
to observe and record the wildlife
to share with the rescue organizations

When we found birds in need of help, most had oiled feathers. One might not notice unless watching the bird’s behavior, seeing the oil patches from afar, and then watching the bird again. Seemingly normal one moment, frantically trying to clean oil off their feathers the next. Or they moved slowly, remained unusually close to shore, or were lethargic (unstartled by humans).

I’ve included photos that show this process, plus some videos. Again, we took these photos from afar with telephoto and reported them back to the rescue team. We were careful to follow instructions, not get too close, not startle them, but still protect them from dogs. This was important to help ensure their safety. It was painful to learn how quickly the oil can kill them.

In one dire scenario, my boyfriend had to get closer to two birds than ideal due to a derelict fishing line plus a huge fishing hook completely entangling two Cormorants in a traumatic sight that had one of their legs almost amputated. It took a quiet team to calmly separate them because the carriers could only hold one bird each. Again, the professionals instructed.

Then one precious Western Grebe appeared to be drowning, then appeared dead, had to be carefully scooped up out of the water, warmed on the sand, and observed while we waited for more instructions. We also had to keep dogs at bay. So we had to remain closer than ideal. The Western Grebe can die from the stress of being closely observed, so we were worried.

In this situation, I had to run to the local USPS, purchase a cardboard box big enough for the Grebe to sprawl out as one might when deathly ill, fill it with enough eco-paper towels to create a plush nest, run back to the beach where my partner was protecting it, then gently place it in the box. I’d normally not move birds with beaks that can poke human eyes out, but we were careful.

At this point, Santa Barbara was also seeing the early stages of a California Brown Pelican emergency mystery illness, which meant we were the only humans available to rescue this bird, so delicate. Again, we handled this rescue while being talked through the process with the wildlife rescue center on the phone, carefully guiding us, especially due to the Grebe’s beak.

One of the most difficult things about rescuing wildlife was watching its partner feel helpless, watching its partner worry, watching its partner not knowing what to do when we had to take its other half away. This was so sad. Because of the oil, the birds are released in another area of water away from the shore, where we can only hope they all know to meet up.

Our favorite part of keeping an eye on wildlife? When a bird from an unrelated species worried, comforted and looked out for its unrelated friend who had oiled feathers. And we absolutely loved the six-week-old seals that didn’t need rescuing—only a bit of observation when they decided to beach themselves in the middle of human activity.