Cetacean and pinniped strandings are increasing in frequency and scale, requiring coordinated welfare response while researchers work to understand the diverse causes.
Marine mammal strandings represent acute welfare emergencies. Live-stranded animals suffer from compression, dehydration, and thermal stress - conditions that worsen rapidly without expert intervention. The welfare priority is accurate rapid assessment: whether the animal is healthy enough to benefit from refloating, or whether euthanasia is the most humane response. Public intervention by untrained individuals, while well-intentioned, often prolongs suffering by attempting refloating of animals unlikely to survive. Trained response organisations should always be contacted first.