Mass whale strandings are complex welfare emergencies requiring coordinated response to minimise suffering of stranded animals and inform conservation priorities.
Stranded whales experience multiple welfare insults: crushing from their own body weight on land, overheating, dehydration, and the profound stress of social disruption and unfamiliar environment. Welfare assessment is challenging in large cetaceans. Aggressive refloating attempts for animals that will die regardless prolong suffering. Rapid welfare triage to identify which animals can survive refloating versus those requiring humane euthanasia is critical.