NOAA Fisheries released the 2022 and 2023 Combined Report of Marine Mammal Strandings in the United States. It includes information on confirmed cetacean (whale, dolphin, and porpoise) and pinniped (seal, fur seal, and sea lion) stranding rates, trends, and activities in the United States. In 2022, there were 6,061 confirmed strandings; in 2023, there were 6,648. The number of confirmed strandings in these years is comparable to the 16-year (2006-2021) average.
Responding to stranding events is essential for minimizing risks to public health and safety from stranded marine mammals and providing for animal welfare. And it is an essential resource for scientific information, management tools and decisions, and law enforcement investigations.
This is the fifth installment in a series of annual stranding reports compiled by the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program. Overviews for the previous reports are on our website.
How to Report a Stranded Marine Mammal
The Stranding Network relies on reports of stranded marine mammals by the public to save animals in distress and understand causes of injuries and mortalities. If you come across a stranded marine mammal, remain a safe and legal distance from the animal. Please report the animal to your regional 24/7 hotline. The most important information to collect is:
- Date and time
- Location of the stranding (including latitude and longitude, if known)
- Number of animals
- Condition of the animal (alive or dead)
- Species (if known)
Photos or videos from different angles and from a safe and legal distance can provide valuable information to Stranding Network responders. Stranded marine mammals are large, wild, unpredictable, and may have diseases that are transmissible to people. For these reasons—as well as legal requirements—only trained and authorized responders should approach or pick up a stranded marine mammal.
