Seal the Deal

Contrary to popular belief, San Francisco's Pier 39 is not the best place to visit seals and sea lions. Upgrade your mammal encounter with a visit to the Marine Mammal Center (entry is free). Located in the Marin Headlands just above beautiful Rodeo Beach in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the Marine Mammal Center is the world's largest veterinarian hospital for marine mammals, with an inspirational mandate: Rescue. Rehabilitate. Research. This past summer the center saw a record number of patients, including 1,340 sea lions ... 1,050 of which were young pups. Recently the center has been tending to an unexpected influx of Guadalupe fur seals. The professional staff here includes 1,200 trained volunteers and top veterinarians providing expert medical attention. Visiting the center offers a rare opportunity to witness these state-of-the-art marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation efforts. Watch from the upper observation deck as volunteers provide some TLC to patients. Take a docent-led tour (highly recommended!), observe food preparation (fish is a popular choice), and learn the heartwarming stories of past and present patients. For the medically minded, there's an observation window offering a view into the necropsy (animal autopsy) room. You'll leave with an understanding of your connection to your coastal cousins—and of how human health is forever tied to ocean health.

BONUS HIKE: The Marine Mammal Center is located right at popular Rodeo Beach, a popular spot for lounging or strolling. Those seeking a little more sand seclusion can head south. An unsigned trail winds over the ice-plant-covered hills, spilling out at the less-visited South Rodeo Beach, a Pacific-facing pocket haven backed by big cliffs.

The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Rd., Sausalito (Fort Cronkhite); 415-289-7325. There is no admission fee, but docent-led tours are highly recommended (small fee applies, but it helps the patients!). The center is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Mornings or early afternoon are good times to visit if you want to see the staff at work with the patients (and the 1 p.m. docent-led tour ties in nicely with the experience).