Marine mammal strandings - whales, dolphins and seals coming ashore - represent acute welfare events requiring skilled response. Understanding how strandings happen and how to respond improves outcomes.
Marine mammal strandings represent acute welfare crises that require rapid, skilled response. A live-stranded cetacean lying on a beach is experiencing hyperthermia, crushing from its own weight (cetaceans rely on water for body support), dehydration and extreme stress. The welfare imperative to act quickly is clear. But the challenge is that refloating often fails and may extend suffering rather than resolving it - the decision about when euthanasia is the kindest option requires experienced veterinary assessment. For seals, the welfare calculus is often more positive: injuries that can be treated, sufficient food rest, and successful rehabilitation and release are achievable outcomes.