Stranded marine mammals including whales, dolphins, and seals require rapid welfare assessment. Triage protocols that prioritize animals with good prognosis while providing humane euthanasia for others minimize total suffering.
Marine mammal stranding response involves applying welfare triage principles under difficult conditions: large, stressed animals in accessible coastal locations require rapid assessment of injury severity, prognosis, and appropriate intervention. The most significant welfare choice in stranding response is often the decision to euthanize rather than attempt rescue — a decision that prevents prolonged suffering in animals with poor prognosis but requires expertise and equipment that is not always available. The welfare imperative is to ensure that stranding networks are properly equipped for both rescue and humane euthanasia, that responders are trained in triage criteria, and that public bystanders do not delay expert response by attempting inappropriate interventions on large, distressed animals.