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What do you do if you come across a stranded cetacean on the beach? That’s a common question asked by whale lovers, environmentalists, and even just the average beach-goer. However assisting a stranded cetacean is a very complicated, tending process that requires great care and lots of hard work. When whales strand, their sheer bulk usually renders them immovable, and the weight of their own internal organs, when unsupported by water, may collapse upon themselves and cause fatal damage. If you see a stranding, the first thing you should do is notify wildlife authorities in your area as soon as possible. Often, the first instinct is to try immediately to return the cetacean to sea. Such attempts may injure the individual, or result with restranding. Until expert help arrives, here are some first-aid measures you can take to stabilize the whale’s condition. 

• Assess the condition of the whale(s). Record the species, date, time, number of individuals stranded, and if possible, mark the first individual to strand with a flag or something similar. Be sure to relay all this information to the wildlife authorities.
• Unless spectators are prepared to help, ask them to keep at a distance and to remain quiet. Commotion will stress out the whales even more.
• Do not try to refloat a stranded cetacean. Leave that to the professionals.
• Stabilize the whale. The goal is to ensure that he or she can breathe and will not overheat or become too stressed. Look for signs of  injury and count the number of breaths that occur over a minute- this can give important clues as to how stressed the mammal is.
• Never pull on the head, dorsal fin, flippers, or flukes, but try to roll the animal upright, so that the blowhole is clear of water or sand. 
• Try to orient its body up the beach, away from the breaking waves. Avoid getting too close to the flukes and the teeth, because when distressed, the cetacean may thrash about and injure you.
• “Dig out” sand trenches underneath the pectoral flippers. To relieve pressure on the lungs you can dig a put under the mammal and fill the pit with water.
• Keep the skin from drying out either by pouring water over it, or by covering the dorsal side with a damp cloth (seaweed works too). Bring buckets, sheets, or blankets, if available. If possible, provide a shade with a tarp. Be very careful NOT to pour water over the blowhole or cover it in any way. This could prove fatal. 
• Rinse the eyes clear of sand. 
• Apply sunscreens or zinc oxide to the skin, but NOT suntan oil. Cetacean’s skin is very sensitive and can burn severely. 
• Remain calm, and talk to or stroke the whale quietly and reassuringly. If the whale responds negatively to the stroking, immediately refrain from doing so. Remember, these are wild animals and are not used to “petting.”

Scientists aren’t completely sure why cetaceans strand, although they have a few clues. For many years cetacean suicide was a popular theory. Serious studies have revealed that the species that strand most often, and in greatest numbers, are those that form tight social pods and are commonly found in deep water away from coastlines. These include the blackfishes and sperm whales. Deep water cetaceans may follow prey inshore and get stuck in shallow water. Other findings suggest that whales have navigational malfunctions. Parasitic infections are sometimes found in the brain, which may affect the whales’ coordination, orientation, balance, and hearing. Weakness or confusion caused by injury/disease may drive animals into the shallows as well.

Coastal topography seems to play a crucial part. Many strandings occur where there are gently sloping beaches. In such places, maybe the echolocation signals of odontocetes are deflected away by the sloping bottom, indicating open water ahead. Weather may also play an important factor in many strandings: onshore winds and heavy seas could hamper cetaceans retreating from shallow water, especially on falling tide. Another possibility is that cetaceans may navigate the Earth using a magnetic field, which explains the whale’s astounding capabilities to navigate over vast distances of the blue seas. The sense could also lead cetaceans astray. 

The key to mass strandings may be the strong social bonds in many odontocete societies. If in an individual is sick, injured, or dying of age, the traditional act of aiding pod members in trouble is not broken because of proximity to shore. This may seem noble or foolish, but these social structures are the key to survival for these species. Whales live, breathe, and crave family and friend interaction. It’s their culture. 

All in all, we’re not completely sure as to why cetaceans strand, and we may never be, either. The best thing we can do now is to follow the “how to help a stranding” steps above and try to return these beauties to the sea with as little stress on them as possible. Contact your local cetacean stranding rescue to find out if you can be an onshore volunteer. You have the power to make a difference! Photo by BjornM22

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