Stranded marine mammals — seals, dolphins, and whales — face severe welfare challenges. Stranding network responses balance rescue welfare with conservation and public engagement.
Marine mammal stranding response involves profound welfare decisions made under difficult conditions. For seals and small cetaceans, rehabilitation programs achieve meaningful welfare improvement and release survival rates — intervention is clearly justified. For large whales, the calculus is more difficult: stranded large whales typically have serious underlying conditions (infectious disease, entanglement injury, ship strike trauma) that make survival and return to sea unlikely in most cases. Euthanasia of stranded large whales, while technically extremely challenging given their size, may be the most humane response for animals in obvious distress with no prospect of recovery. The public engagement value of stranding responses is significant — they connect communities to marine mammal welfare in visceral ways that drive conservation support. Training and resources for stranding networks are essential investments.