Scientists evaluating the deceased whale.
Please call one of the marine mammal agencies listed BELOW to report a stranding.
The links are grouped by region to make your selection easier. If you find a broken or outdated link, or know of an excellent related link which we are missing, please contact us.
Seven Steps to Help a Stranded Marine Mammal
- Do not touch, pick up, or feed the animal. Do not return the animal to water.
- Observe the animal from a distance of at least 50 feet. Keep people and dogs away.
- Note physical characteristics such as size, presence of external ears and fur color.
- Note the animal’s condition. Is it weak or skinny? Does it have any open wounds?
- Look for any obvious identification tags or markings.
- Determine the animal’s exact location for accurate reporting.
- Call the local stranding hotline with as much information as you have.
When reporting a stranding, it is important to have the following information ready to report:
- Identification or description of animal (size, color, etc.)
- Number of animals involved
- Condition of animal (alive, dead, or injured)
- Exact location and directions to the strand site
- Names and telephone numbers of people involved
- Date and time of your observations
- If there are any tags on the animal
What to do for a stranded Whale, Dolphin, or Porpoise:
- DO NOT attempt to return the animal to sea. They are there for a reason, usually sick or injured.
- Keep people and dogs away from the animal. Only 1 or 2 persons are needed until expert help arrives. Additional people will only add more stress to the dolphin or whale.
- If the animal is in the surf, support it upright and keep water out of the blowhole at all times.
- Keep the animal cool and wet by splashing water on the skin. Avoid getting water into the blowhole.
- Apply wet towels or t-shirts and provide shade if possible using tarps or towels. Keep the blowhole free of obstructions and take care not to cover any of its fins or tail.
- DO NOT apply suntan oil. If available, apply zinc oxide to the fins and tail. The dolphin’s skin is very sensitive and will sunburn severely.
- Be careful around the extremely powerful tail.
What to do for a stranded Seal or Sea Lion:
- DO NOT attempt to remove the animal or return it to the water. Seals and Sea Lions temporarily haul out on land to rest or dry out. Mothers briefly leave their pups while at sea.
- Observe the animal from a distance of at least 50 feet. Note the condition of the animal. Any obvious injuries? Is it bleeding? Wet or dry? Any markings or tags? Do not attempt to feed the animal.
- Do not pour water on beached Seals or Sea Lions. They are prone to respiratory diseases and wetting them down often adds to their suffering.
- Do not touch a stranded Seal or Sea Lion! Even though they appear friendly, they can inflict severe bites. They may also carry diseases communicable to humans.
- Control your pets. Keep people away! They could injure or be injured by a Seal or Sea Lion.
- Determine the animal’s exact location! If we can’t locate the animal, we can’t help it. How far and in what direction from a town, river, jetty, seawall, mile marker or highway callbox
What to do for a stranded Sea Turtle:
- Move the turtle above the high water line.
- Cover the animal with dry seaweed to prevent the wind from causing hypothermia.
- Mark the covered turtle with a gaudy piece of flotsam or jetsam, perhaps a buoy or anything unusual, so that rescuers will easily find the animal.
- Do not put it back into the water – doing so will condemn the animal to almost certain death.
- Do not remove the animal from the beach – a special license is required to transport federally protected species.
What to do for a stranded Sea Otter:
- Don’t touch it or try to catch it – it’s illegal, and sea otters can bite.
- Don’t pick up an otter pup that seems to be alone in the water – its mother is probably diving for food nearby.
- Keep people and pets away from the otter.
- Don’t wrap a stranded otter in a blanket – it will overheat very quickly.
- Wildlife rehabilitation specialists will come and determine whether the otter needs help. If it does, they will capture it and take it in for care.
- Remember, sea otters are wild animals and can deliver a severe bite!
All Marine Mammals protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act & the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Only authorized wildlife rehabilitators—like the agencies on this list—are allowed to catch or move them.
Agencies Allowed to Capture Marine Mammals:
USA (alphabetical order by state):
NOAA Northeast USA Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Stranding & Entanglement Hotline
866-755-NOAA (6622)
Alabama Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
1-877-WHALE-HELP (1-877-942-5343)Alabama Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network Hotline
1-866-SEA-TURTLE (1-866-732-8878)
NMFS Southeast USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
877-433-8299
NMFS Alaska Stranding Hotline
877-925-7773
NMFS Anchorage Office
Anchorage
907-271-5006
NMFS Alaska Regional Office
Juneau
907-586-7235
Alaska Sea Otter and Stellar Sea Lion Commission
Old Harbor
907-286-2377
Alaska SeaLife Center
Seward
907-224-6395
Alaska Whale Foundation
Operates from boat – May through September
360-808-0579
Click here to download the California Whale Entanglement Team (W.E.T.) Response and Reporting Card
DEL NORTE COUNTY
Northcoast Marine Mammal Center
Crescent City
707-465-6265
Whale Entanglement Team (WET)
877-SOS-WHALE (767- 9425)
NMFS Southwest USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
800-853-1964
Oiled Wildlife Care Network Response Hotline
877-UCD-OWCN
HUMBOLDT COUNTY
Northcoast Marine Mammal Center
Crescent City
707-465-6265
Humboldt State University
Arcata
707-826-4872
Whale Entanglement Team (WET)
877-SOS-WHALE (767- 9425)
NMFS Southwest USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
800-853-1964
Oiled Wildlife Care Network Response Hotline
877-UCD-OWCN
LOS ANGELES COUNTY
California Wildlife Center (live strandings)
Malibu
310-458-WILD [9453]
Marine Animal Rescue (formerly Whale Rescue Team)
El Segundo
Emergencies - 800-39-WHALE, non-emergencies – 310-455-2729
Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History (dead animals only)
Los Angeles
213-763-3400
Long Beach Animal Care Services (live strandings)
Long Beach
562-570-7387
Whale Entanglement Team (WET)
877-SOS-WHALE (767- 9425)
NMFS Southwest USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
800-853-1964
Oiled Wildlife Care Network Response Hotline
877-UCD-OWCN
MARIN COUNTY
The Marine Mammal Center
Sausalito
415-289-SEAL (7325)California Academy of Sciences (dead animals only)
San Francisco
415-379-5381
Whale Entanglement Team (WET)
877-SOS-WHALE (767- 9425)
NMFS Southwest USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
800-853-1964
Oiled Wildlife Care Network Response Hotline
877-UCD-OWCN
MENDOCINO COUNTY
Humboldt State University
Arcata
707-826-4872
The Marine Mammal Center
Sausalito
415-289-SEAL (7325)
Whale Entanglement Team (WET)
877-SOS-WHALE (767- 9425)
NMFS Southwest USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
800-853-1964
Oiled Wildlife Care Network Response Hotline
877-UCD-OWCN
MONTEREY COUNTY
UC Long Marine Lab
Santa Cruz
During business hours – 831-459-2883, after hours – 831-212-1272
The Marine Mammal Center
Moss Landing
831-633-6298 or 415-289-SEAL (7325)
Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
Moss Landing
831-771-4422
Monterey Bay Aquarium (Sea Otter Hotline)
Monterey
831-648-4840
Whale Entanglement Team (WET)
877-SOS-WHALE (767- 9425)
NMFS Southwest USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
800-853-1964
Oiled Wildlife Care Network Response Hotline
877-UCD-OWCN
ORANGE COUNTY
Pacific Marine Mammal Center
Laguna Beach
949-494-3050
Whale Entanglement Team (WET)
877-SOS-WHALE (767- 9425)
NMFS Southwest USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
800-853-1964
Oiled Wildlife Care Network Response Hotline
877-UCD-OWCN
SAN DIEGO COUNTY
Sea World (live strandings)
San Diego
800-541-7325
NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center (dead animals only)
La Jolla
858-546-7162
Whale Entanglement Team (WET)
877-SOS-WHALE (767- 9425)
NMFS Southwest USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
800-853-1964
Oiled Wildlife Care Network Response Hotline
877-UCD-OWCN
SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY
The Marine Mammal Center
Sausalito
415-289-SEAL (7325)
California Academy of Sciences (dead animals only)
San Francisco
415-379-5381
Whale Entanglement Team (WET)
877-SOS-WHALE (767- 9425)
NMFS Southwest USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
800-853-1964
Oiled Wildlife Care Network Response Hotline
877-UCD-OWCN
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY
The Marine Mammal Center
Morro Bay
415-289-SEAL (7325)
Monterey Bay Aquarium (sea otter 24-hour emergency line)
Monterey
831-648-4840
Whale Entanglement Team (WET)
877-SOS-WHALE (767- 9425)
NMFS Southwest USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
800-853-1964
Oiled Wildlife Care Network Response Hotline
877-UCD-OWCN
SAN MATEO COUNTY
The Marine Mammal Center
Sausalito
415-289-SEAL (7325)
California Academy of Sciences (dead animals only)
San Francisco
415-379-5381
Whale Entanglement Team (WET)
877-SOS-WHALE (767- 9425)
NMFS Southwest USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
800-853-1964
Oiled Wildlife Care Network Response Hotline
877-UCD-OWCN
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
The Marine Mammal Center
Santa Barbara
415-289-SEAL (7325)
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History (dead animals only)
Santa Barbara
Call Michelle Berman 805-896-0858
Monterey Bay Aquarium (sea otter 24-hour emergency line)
Monterey
831-648-4840
Whale Entanglement Team (WET)
877-SOS-WHALE (767- 9425)
NMFS Southwest USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
800-853-1964
Oiled Wildlife Care Network Response Hotline
877-UCD-OWCN
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
UC Long Marine Lab
Santa Cruz
During business hours – 831-459-2883, after hours – 831-212-1272
The Marine Mammal Center
Moss Landing
831-633-6298 or 415-289-SEAL (7325)
Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
Moss Landing
831-771-4422
Monterey Bay Aquarium (sea otter 24-hour emergency line)
Monterey
831-648-4840
Whale Entanglement Team (WET)
877-SOS-WHALE (767- 9425)
NMFS Southwest USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
800-853-1964
Oiled Wildlife Care Network Response Hotline
877-UCD-OWCN
SONOMA COUNTY
The Marine Mammal Center
Sausalito
415-289-SEAL (7325)
Whale Entanglement Team (WET)
877-SOS-WHALE (767- 9425)
NMFS Southwest USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
800-853-1964
Oiled Wildlife Care Network Response Hotline
877-UCD-OWCN
VENTURA COUNTY
Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute (live strandings)
Goleta
805-567-1505
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History (dead animals only)
Santa Barbara
Call Michelle Berman 805-896-0858
Whale Entanglement Team (WET)
877-SOS-WHALE (767- 9425)
NMFS Southwest USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
800-853-1964
Oiled Wildlife Care Network Response Hotline
877-UCD-OWCN
NOAA Northeast USA Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Stranding & Entanglement Hotline
866-755-NOAA (6622)
Mystic Aquarium
860-572-5955, option 1
NOAA Northeast USA Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Stranding & Entanglement Hotline
866-755-NOAA (6622)
MERR Institute
Nassau
302-228-5029
NMFS Southeast USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
877-433-8299
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
888-404-3922
Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute (Brevard and Volusia counties only)
321-821-3030
NMFS Southeast USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
877-433-8299
Georgia Stranding Hotline
912-269-7587 or 912-264-7218
NMFS Southeast Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
877-433-8299
HAWAII
Please call the NOAA Hotline (1-888-256-9840) immediately to report an injured or entangled marine mammal.
Pacific Islands Region Marine Mammal Stranding & Entanglement Hotline
888-256-9840
NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office – Marine Mammal Response Network
Honolulu
808-725-5000
To report monk seal sightings:
Oahu: (808) 220-7802
Kauai: (808) 651-7668
Molokai: (808) 553-5555
Maui/Lanai: (808) 292-2372
Island of Hawaii (808) 987-0765
To report stranded / entangled marine mammals:
1-888-256-9840
Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
Kihei
For Marine Mammals: 888-256-9840
For Sea Turtles: (808) 983-5730
University of Hawaii
Hilo
808-286-4359
NMFS Southeast USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
877-433-8299
Coastal Wildlife Network
504-235-3005
NMFS Southeast Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
877-433-8299
NOAA Northeast USA Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Stranding & Entanglement Hotline
866-755-NOAA (6622)
Maine Marine Animal Reporting Hotline
800-532-9551
Maine Department of Marine Resources
207-633-9500
207-266-1326 (Weekends/After-hours)
Allied Whale, College of the Atlantic
Bar Harbor
207-288-5644
NOAA Northeast USA Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Stranding & Entanglement Hotline
866-755-NOAA (6622)
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Oxford
800-628-9944
National Aquarium/Marine Animal Rescue Program
Baltimore
410-576-3880
NOAA Northeast USA Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Stranding & Entanglement Hotline
866-755-NOAA (6622)
Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office
978-281-9300
NMFS Protected Species Branch
508-495-2000
New England Aquarium
Boston
617-973-5247
The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation
Boston
631-369-9829 – 24 hour rescue hotline
International Fund for Animal Welfare – Marine Mammal Rescue Program
(formerly known as the Cape Cod Stranding Network)
508-743-9548, Email: [email protected]
The Whale Center of New England
Gloucester
978-281-6351
NMFS Southeast USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
877-433-8299
NOAA Stranding Hotline
888-806-1674
NMFS Southeast Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
877-433-8299
Institute for Marine Mammal Studies
Gulfport
888-767-3657
NOAA Northeast USA Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Stranding & Entanglement Hotline
866-755-NOAA (6622)
New England Aquarium
Boston
617-973-5247
NOAA Northeast USA Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Stranding & Entanglement Hotline
866-755-NOAA (6622)
Marine Mammal Stranding Center
Brigantine
609-266-0538
NOAA Northeast USA Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Stranding & Entanglement Hotline
866-755-NOAA (6622)
The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation
Riverhead
631-369-9829 – 24 hour rescue hotline
NMFS Southeast USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
877-433-8299
NMFS Southeast Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
877-433-8299
Marine Mammal Stranding Program
University of North Carolina
Wilmington
903-962-7266
NMFS Northwest USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
866-767-6114
NMFS Northwest Regional Office, Protected Resources Division
206-526-6733
Oregon Coast Stranding Coordinator
Hotline: 541-270-6830
Marine Mammal Stranding Network
Oregon State University
Newport
541-270-6830
NOAA Northeast USA Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Stranding & Entanglement Hotline
866-755-NOAA (6622)
Mystic Aquarium
860-572-5955
NMFS Southeast USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
877-433-8299
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Stranding Hotline
800-922-5431
NMFS Southeast USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
877-433-8299
Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network
Galveston
800-9MAMMAL
NOAA Northeast USA Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Stranding & Entanglement Hotline
866-755-NOAA (6622)
Virginia Marine Science Museum
Virginia Beach
757-385-7575
- To report stranded marine mammals in Washington State or Oregon, please call the NOAA Fisheries Hotline: 1-866-767-6114
- To report large whale entanglements, please call Large Whale Entanglement Hotline (Pacific US Coast): 1-877-SOS-WHALE (1-877-767-9425)
- To report stranded marine mammals in British Columbia, Canada, call the DFO hotline: 1-800-465-4336
NMFS Northwest USA Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
800-853-1964
NMFS Marine Mammal Stranding Coordinator
206-526-6733
Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife Marine Mammal Investigations Unit
253-589-7235
Seattle Animal Control
Seattle: (206) 386-7387 (press option 7)
Cascadia Research Collective (for large whales)
Olympia: 360-943-7325 or 800-747-7329
East Jefferson County Marine Mammal Stranding Network
Port Townsend: 360-385-5582 x103
Makah Reservation
360-645-3160 or after office hours 9-5, use following number: 360-640-0959
Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary
Port Angeles: 360-457-6622, option 6
Olympic Coast National Park
Port Angeles: 360-565-3115
Olympic Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Association
Joyce: 360-928-0230
Orca Network – Report Dead or Stranded Marine Mammals
Freeland: 1-866-ORCANET or 360-678-3765
San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network, The Whale Museum
Friday Harbor: 360-378-4710 or 800-562-8832
WASHINGTON D.C.
NOAA Northeast USA Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Stranding & Entanglement Hotline
866-755-NOAA (6622)
Smithsonian Institute
Museum of Natural History
202-633-2664
^Top of USA List
^Top of Stranding Page
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey
831-648-4840 (sea otter 24-hour emergency line)
Marine Mammal Center
Sausalito
415-289-7325
Please report sightings in California of oiled otters, seabirds and other animals to the Oiled Wildlife Care Network Response Hotline: 877-823-6926.
Call Dr. Melissa Miller at 831-469-1746 for all scientific inquiries and dead sea otter related issues. Call Jack Ames at 831-469-1740 for any California oil spill response and field problems.
If you find a Sea Otter you think is ill or abandoned follow these steps:
- Don’t touch it or try to catch it – it’s illegal, and sea otters can bite.
- Don’t pick up an otter pup that seems to be alone in the water – its mother is probably diving for food nearby.
- Keep people and pets away from the otter.
- Don’t wrap a stranded otter in a blanket – it will overheat very quickly.
- Wildlife rehabilitation specialists will come and determine whether the otter needs help. If it does, they will capture it and take it in for care.
- Remember, sea otters are wild animals and can deliver a severe bite!
^Top of Stranding Page
^Top of USA List
AFRICA
Namibian Dolphin Project
Strandings Hotline: Hotline: 081 687 6461
AMERICAN SAMOA
Pacific Islands Region Marine Mammal Stranding & Entanglement Hotline
888-256-9840
ARGENTINA
Fundacion Mundo Marino
Buenos Aires
02252 43-0300
AUSTRALIA
Australia Marine Mammal Rescue and Research
Sydney, New South Wales
61 02 9415 3333
Australian Marine Wildlife Research & Rescue Organization (AMWRRO)
Torrens Island SA
08 8262 5452 or Emergency: 08 8378 3364 or 0411 057 551
Wildlife Victoria
Fitzroy, Victoria
13 000 94535
Whale Strandings Hotline - Tasmania only
0427 942 537
BRAZIL
International Wildlife Coalition Imbituba
55 48 255 2922
CANADA
Marine Animal Response Society
Nova Scotia
866-567-6277
Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
British Columbia
800-465-4336
Marine Mammal Rehabilitation
British Columbia
604-862-1647
Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network
Tadoussac, Québec
Hotline: 1-877-722-5346 or 1-877-7BALEINE
Vancouver Aquarium
British Columbia
604-258-7325
Whale Release and Strandings
Newfoundland and Labrador
888-895-3003
ENGLAND
British Divers Marine Life Rescue
01825 765546
Royal Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
0300 1234 999
FRANCE
Centre de Recherche sur les Mammiferes Marins
La Rochelle
05 46 44 99 10
Groupe d’Etude des Cetaces du Contentin et des Mammiferes de la Manche
Cherbourg-Octeville
02 33 10 22 50
Oceanopolis Marine Mammal Laboratory
Brest
Security Office (24 hrs/7days): 33 (0) 2 98 34 40 51
Sami Hassani (Stranding Network Coordinator): 33 (0) 2 98 34 40 52
Picardie Nature
06 08 83 44 99
GERMANY
Seehundstation Friedrichskoog
04854 / 13 72
Seehundstation Norddeich
49 (0) 49 31-9 73 33 0
GREECE
MOm Monk Seal Rehabilitation Centre
210-5222888
Archelon Sea Turtle Rescue Center
+30 210 52 31 342
GUAM
Pacific Islands Region Marine Mammal Stranding & Entanglement Hotline
888-256-9840
NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office
Honolulu, Hawaii
808-944-2269
HONG KONG
Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society
852-2866 2652
INDONESIA
Whale Strandings Indonesia
62 811-9693-026
IRELAND
Irish Whale and Dolphin Group
087-6328106
ISRAEL
Israel Marine Mammal Research & Assistance Center
050 6241663, 052 3571193, or 050 8226280
MAURITIUS
Mauritian Wildlife Foundation
230 697 6097
MEXICO
Red de Varamientos de Yucatan
Merida, Yucatan
999 946 5558
Investigacion y Conservacion de Mamiferos Marinos de Ensenada (ICMME)
Ensenada, Baja California
646 161 98 39 or 646 197 53 29
NETHERLANDS
Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre Lenie’t Hart
Pieterburen
0595 526 526
EcoMare Wadden and North Sea Centre
0222 317741
NEW ZEALAND
Department of Conservation
0800 362 468 – 24 hour emergency stranding line
Project Jonah
0800 4 WHALE
NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
Pacific Islands Region Marine Mammal Stranding & Entanglement Hotline
888-256-9840
NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office
Honolulu, Hawaii
808-944-2269
PERU
Organizacion Cientifica para Conservacion de Animales Acuaticos
511 99938-9430 or 511 99164-5586
PHILIPPINES
Philippine Marine Mammal Stranding Network
For whales and dolphins:
Ocean Adventure
(047) 252 9000
For dugongs:
Protected Area and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB)
(02) 924 6031 to 35
(02) 925 8946
POLAND
Hel Marine Station
58 675 08 36
PUERTO RICO
NMFS Southeast Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
877-433-8299
SCOTLAND
Scottish Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
03000 999 999
British Divers Marine Life Rescue
01825 765546
SOUTH AFRICA
Cape of Good Hope SPCA
021 700 4158, 021 700 4159, emergencies - 083 326 1604
SPAIN
Fundacion Aspro Natura
Canary Islands
General emergency hotline – 112
TURKEY
Turkish Marine Research Foundation
90 216 424 07 72
US VIRGIN ISLANDS
NMFS Southeast Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
877-433-8299
US Virgin Islands Stranding Hotline
Frederiksted
340-713-2422
WALES
Royal Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
0300 1234 999
British Divers Marine Life Rescue
01825 765546
^Top of International List
^Top of Stranding Page
