How cetacean stranding networks coordinate welfare-first emergency response for beached whales and dolphins.
Cetacean stranding response involves acute welfare decisions under public pressure that require expert knowledge and courage to make correctly. The instinct of beachgoers to push stranded animals back to sea can cause severe welfare harm - disoriented or ill animals returned to water without treatment often strand again in worsened condition. Mass strandings of social cetaceans pose particular welfare challenges: separating distressed individuals from their social group may reduce one form of suffering while increasing another. Welfare-first response requires accepting that euthanasia is sometimes the kindest option despite the emotional difficulty of this decision in public settings. Supporting well-trained stranding networks with appropriate authority to make these decisions is crucial.