MMSC’s 45th Anniversary and "SP" The Whale That Started It All

 A pygmy sperm whale stranded in Atlantic City, NJ in front of Convention Hall. The 1500lb whale was suffering from lacerations and bruising from struggling in the surf. Among the experts that were called in to assist was MMSC's founding Director Bob Schoelkopf, who at the time was a Manager on the Steel Pier. With the help of Atlantic City Fire Dept, AC Public Works, and U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic City personnel, Bob slid an inflatable raft under the injured whale. It was towed around to the inlet to the Coast Guard base, as he tended to the whale inside the raft. A crane was used to carefully hoist the whale and Bob into a Coast Guard wet storage tank filled with seawater. And so began the intensive round-the-clock care of the injured whale, named "Semper Paratus" ("Always Ready"- the Coast Guard motto). Bob stayed by "SP's" side, caring for him day and night as a team of professionals (Dr Jacquie Ludell of Stockton College, Veterinarian Dr William Medway of University of Penn Veterinary School, Dick Whittaker of NOAA Office of Law Enforcement) and off-duty Coast Guardsmen all worked together to provide supportive care to the ailing whale. Despite their ground-breaking efforts, "SP" lost his fight and succumbed three days later to a heart condition.

From the tragic loss of "SP" was born the idea that a great need existed for an organization that could help stranded, sick and injured marine mammals and sea turtles in New Jersey. Two years later, in March of 1978, with the help of the Oceanic Society, the MMSC opened its doors at Gardner’s Basin in Atlantic City. The original office was a small structure built from discarded boardwalk lumber, while an area in the bay was fenced off to hold small whales and dolphins. In the winter, stranded seals and small porpoises were kept in make-shift tanks in the heated men's bathroom.

In the early years, approximately 20 animals would come through MMSC’s doors annually, but soon the need for a larger facility grew as more animals in distress came ashore in New Jersey. In 1983, the Brigantine Beach Patrol came to our aid to help dig out the bay pen and decided that we needed a bigger and better facility. They solicited the City of Brigantine to lease a bayside lot to the Center and began a fund-raising campaign named "Project Holding Tank". The lifeguards continued their support by constructing a pool building and refurbishing a donated building as our office. They further assisted by allowing the MMSC to take possession of the historic building that they used as lifeguard storage so that we could have a place for visitors.

With the support of the community and countless volunteers, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center now comes to the aide of an average of 180 animals per year.

What started as an idea inspired by one stranding 47 years ago has become New Jersey’s only organization dedicated to the Rescue, Rehabilitation and Release of marine mammals in the State of New Jersey, responding to over 5,900 marine mammals and sea turtles since opening our doors 45 years ago this month. From our humble beginnings in Gardner's Basin to our current facility in Brigantine, two things have always remained constant: our steadfast commitment to the animals and our appreciation for the support we have received from the community.

As we approach our 45th year milestone, we thank all of our supporters who have stood behind MMSC during these challenging times. Our staff truly appreciates all the ways you have shown your support, be it through donations or other acts of kindness. We have been completely uplifted by your kind messages on social media, encouraging phone calls, letters of support, and meaningful gifts sent to the office for staff and volunteers. You have helped keep our small team strong during these extraordinary times as we work on the front lines for the marine mammals and sea turtles of New Jersey.

Thank You!
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45 Years Strong

Help us celebrate our anniversary and support our stranding operations with our
New '45 Years Strong' shirt!

With the recent cetacean strandings, costs to respond to these events and facilitate necropsies have been adding up, impacting our budget. The work of the MMSC is largely funded by donations, grants, and gift shop sales, including our new Bonfire store. Our team wanted to honor the whales that we have been working so tirelessly to understand while recognizing our 45th anniversary. This design was created in-house by staff members (like all of our designs!) who are working hard to not only respond to these animal calls, but also need to find the funds to continue our work.

We thank all of our supporters during these hard times and hope that the New Jersey community can stay strong together and continue to support the frontline workers like our small facility here in Brigantine.

This is a front and back design, with our establishment year on the front and our revamped MMSC Red Cross on the back.

All proceeds from our Online Store and Bonfire Store go directly to our work to Rescue, Rehabilitate, and Release.


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