An incredible (and cute!) video came from Global News BC last month: a feature video of the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre going over their efforts rehabilitating their seal pup patients.
To our surprise, the organization featured their containment units which came from us!
We recently got in touch with Lindsaye, the Manager of the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre, and she gave us a little insight into why our bins where chosen to help out with the rehabilitation of Harvest Seal pups.
The Bins
The bins used are a variety of our D-series & DX-series bins. Most popularly used in the fish and meat transporting industry, these totes were chosen for their sizing, reliability, durability, cleanability & the ability to drain.
In total, the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre has ~48 of our bins, which are all in use during peak season. Harvest Seal Pups, when first rescued, require attention from the staff and volunteers and our bins provide the perfect containment to look after young pups.
Sizing
Sizing for these bins vary largely by model, but generally these bins are 40 inches in width, with anywhere from 30-60 inches in height and varying widths.
This sizing gives seal pups ample room to move around in, while still being accessible by staff.
Reliability & Durability
Possibly one of the most important aspects of our bins is their reliability and durability. We've supplied the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre with bins multiple times in the past, with some bins being in use even after 20 years.
The bins are designed to withstand the rough conditions of transport in the fish and meat industry, which translates amazingly to the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre.
This longevity makes these bins a great investment for the centre and still provides useful features like the ones outlined below.
Cleaning
There are a lot of precautions in place when bringing in a new animal to the rescue centre. One of those is a 14-day quarantine for any new arrival.
This is in place to prevent any transmission of disease.
The D & DX series bins are all rotomoulded polyethylene bins with rounded corners, which in turn making cleaning extremely easy.
Like mentioned above, the bins are most popularly used in transporting fish / meat, and therefore cleanability is one of the biggest features.
Drainage
An insightful note Lindsaye mentioned was the addition of drainage plugs to their bins.
A simple yet extremely useful accessory, the drainage plug allows for convenient emptying of any liquids inside the bin. This is extremely useful when sanitizing the entire tote.
The Flooring / Substrate
As you may have noticed, there is a grey / tan flooring on some of the seal pup bins.
That flooring is our Thruflow decking from our Dock / Marina Division, we slightly modified the corners to fit the bins and offer a durable, slip resistant flooring that also lets water & other cleaning liquids through the grates for it to be drained out.
How to help
The easiest way to support the Marine Mammal rescue Centre is by following their social media accounts! Sharing, commenting, and liking their posts helps raise awareness about marina mammal rescue.
You additionally get to follow some amazing stories of marine mammal rescue and keep up to date on any events happening in the Vancouver Aquarium.
Check out their social links below:
Lastly, if you would like to support the Vancouver Aquarium and their rescue efforts financially, you can check out their ticket and membership options below: