Stranded Marine Mammal Information

What Is A Stranded Marine Mammal?

Marine mammals are sentinels of the marine environment and their health reveals a great deal about the health of our oceans. CIMWI responds to stranded marine mammals and strives to uncover the causes behind the strandings so that our efforts contribute to making a difference in ocean and human health.

Marine mammals strand for a variety of reasons. Strandings can involve a single animal or multiple animals. Stranded marine mammals are animals that are:

1. In need of apparent medical attention
2. Dead on the beach, shore or in U.S. waters
3. Alive and on the beach or shore but unable to return to the water
4. Alive in U.S. waters where the water is so shallow it is unable to return to its natural habitat

Many stranded marine mammals are found dead and in these cases, CIMWI collects the latitude and longitude of the stranding location, morphometric data, carcass condition, and sex. Animals are also photographed and examined for identification tags, external signs of injury, and signs of human interaction.

In cases where stranded animals are found alive and it is deemed appropriate to rescue the animal, CIMWI volunteers transport the animal to the rehabilitation facility. In cases where CIMWI is able to successfully rehabilitate the animal, it is released back to its natural, wild habitat. 

Common reasons for strandings include injury, illness/disease and malnutrition. Human interaction incidents can also cause marine mammals to strand.

Injuries can result from interactions with natural predators like sharks and even breeding adults of the same species as well as human interactions (described below).

Marine mammal illness/disease includes parasite infestation such as tapeworm or lungworm, harmful algae blooms such as domoic acid toxicosis, viral infections such as herpes, bacterial infections such as leptospirosis, and cancer.

Malnutrition may be the result of many things including young animals that have become prematurely separated from their mothers, animals that were recently weaned and are not thriving in finding food on their own, environmental and oceanographic events like El Niño that cause changes in the distribution and abundance of marine mammal prey, and increased competition for prey.

Human interaction incidents can be:

Direct – Deliberate: These are acts of harassment/violence by citizens such as purposeful shootings (gunshots, bow and arrows, crossbows, etc.) and striking with objects (gaffs, pipes, rocks, bricks, etc.)

Direct - Well-Meaning: These are well-intentioned actions by citizens that intervene on an animal's behalf. They include picking up seal pups believed to be abandoned and picking up animals believed to be in need of help. These actions are illegal as marine mammals are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and it is illegal for unauthorized individuals to touch, disturb, feed, or otherwise harass these animals. Illegal actions could also jeopardize the health of the animal.

Direct - Non-Deliberate: This happens when marine mammals are affected by humans unintentionally. Injuries, illness and death can be caused as a result of fisheries bycatch, entanglements and boat/ship strikes.

Indirect: These are a result of changes to habitat or prey. Examples include pollution (point source and non-point source, coastal development, wetland loss, over fishing, climate change, ocean acidification, and invasive species and pathogens.

How To Help A Stranded Marine Mammal

If you encounter an injured, stranded or distressed marine mammal, please follow these steps:

1. Do Not Touch!

Do not touch, feed, harass, cover, pour water on, allow dogs near, or coax the animal into the water. Observe the animal from a minimum of 50 feet. Keep both people and pets away from the stranded animal.

2. Observe Animal

Note the physical characteristics and condition:

• Size
• Weight
• Fur Color
• Presence or Absence of Ear Flaps
• Active or Weak
• Wounds or Blood
• Spasms or Convulsions
• Entangled in Fishing Line / Net

3. Determine Location

Determine the exact location of the animal. Be as accurate as possible and note any landmarks so the rescue team can easily find the animal.

4. Call Hotline

Call the Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute Rescue Hotline at (805) 567-1505. Provide your name, phone number, specific information about the animal, and its location.

NOTE:

Marine mammals are protected under the Federal Marine Mammal Protection Act. It is illegal for unauthorized individuals to touch, disturb, feed, or otherwise harass these animals. Such unlawful actions could jeopardize the health of the animal.

Remember, these are wild animals and they may bite!

It is important to keep both people and pets away from the stranded animal. If pets are around the area, make sure they are on a leash. These animals are easily stressed by humans and crowding may cause them to act aggressively. Pets can also add stress to the animal's situation and may make things worse. A pet could bite the stranded animal causing injury and it is possible that a pet or person could be bitten. Disease can be transmitted between stranded animals and pets as well as humans.

Not all animals on the beach are stranded and require human intervention or medical attention. Seals and sea lions sometimes temporarily rest on land ("haul out") and mothers often leave their pups on shore while they are feeding at sea. It is in the best interest of these wild animals to have the least amount of human interaction as possible.