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If you find a stranded or dead whale, immediately contact the authorized marine-mammal stranding network or wildlife authority for the animal’s location. Give the precise location and condition, keep people and pets at least 100 yards away, and do not touch, move, tow, or try to refloat the whale.
That advice applies whether the whale is alive on shore, dead on a beach, or floating offshore. In the United States, the NOAA Fisheries reporting directory routes you to the correct regional contact; the right phone number depends on the state and coastline.
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Make the report before attempting to help the animal. Whales are large, powerful animals, and even a dead carcass can injure people or expose them to infectious hazards. Trained responders decide whether an animal needs medical care, examination, disentanglement, removal, or another response.
- Move to a safe observation point. Stay at least 100 yards away, and keep children, other bystanders, and pets back. Do not enter the water to get closer to a whale that is floating offshore.
- Record the location. Note the beach or shoreline name, access point, nearby landmarks, harbor or vessel reference, and GPS coordinates if available.
- Call the authorized local contact. In the United States, use NOAA Fisheries’ Report a Stranded or Injured Marine Animal page to find the regional or state stranding network. Use the authority for the place where the whale actually is, not the place where you live.
- Describe what you can see. Tell the responder whether the whale appears alive, dead, injured, entangled, or is floating. Give an approximate length and the time you saw it.
- Take a distant photo only if it is safe. A photograph can help responders identify the animal and assess its condition, but getting a better image is never a reason to approach it.
- Follow instructions and leave the animal alone. Do not attempt a rescue, refloating, dissection, towing operation, or crowd-control effort yourself.
NOAA’s public guidance is explicit: live whales, dolphins, and porpoises that strand on land need specialized emergency care and should be returned to the water only by authorized, trained professionals.
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Who do I call in the United States?
The correct contact is geographic. NOAA’s national directory organizes reporting routes by region and state, and its listings can change, so check the official page when you make the report. The following numbers are examples listed by NOAA and were checked in November 2026; they are not a substitute for the current directory.
| Location | Stranding contact | Use and limits |
|---|---|---|
| Maine through Virginia | 866-755-NOAA (6622) | Dead or live stranded large whales |
| North Carolina through Florida | 877-433-8299 | Dead or live stranded large whales |
| California, Oregon, and Washington | 866-767-6114 | West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network hotline; NOAA’s regional map identifies local response organizations |
| Other U.S. coastal or inland locations | Use the NOAA Fisheries directory | Select the region and state where the animal is located |
For Apple-device users, NOAA’s reporting page also points to the Dolphin and Whale 911 app. Treat any app or hotline listing as a way to reach the authorized network, not as permission to approach the animal.
NOAA’s West Coast stranding-network map also lists contacts shown for Canada and Mexico. The map gives 1-800-465-4336 for Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans and +52 612-214-3750 for Mexico’s Marine Wildlife Rescue Center. Confirm current coverage and instructions with the local authority before relying on those entries.
What information should I give the responder?
Useful, specific information lets a response team find the whale quickly and prepare the right people and equipment. Do not delay the call while trying to determine the species or make a precise biological diagnosis.
| Information | What to provide | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Exact location | Beach name, access point, nearby landmarks, shoreline direction, harbor, or GPS coordinates | Responders need to reach the correct section of coast, especially where beaches have multiple entrances |
| Condition | Alive, dead, injured, entangled, or floating offshore; mention movement or breathing if visible | Condition determines urgency and the type of trained response required |
| Date and time | When you first saw the whale and whether it remains there | Tides, currents, and weather can change the animal’s position |
| Approximate size | Estimated length and, if possible, a broad description of girth or weight | Helps the network plan personnel, safety measures, and equipment |
| Description | Color, markings, visible body features, and any likely species; do not guess if uncertain | A description can support identification without requiring you to approach |
| Photo or video | Images taken from at least 100 yards or another safe distance | May help confirm condition, species, tags, or visible injuries |
| Human interaction | Visible fishing gear, rope, net, vessel contact, collision signs, or other apparent interaction | Entanglement and human-interaction cases may require specialized coordination |
| Tags or markings | Any identifying tag or mark visible from a safe position | Can help responders identify an individual or previous monitoring history |
| Your contact details | Name and callback number if requested | The network may need clarification or an update about the animal’s location |
A simple report might sound like: “At 2:15 p.m. on November 14, I saw a whale approximately 35 feet long at the north end of [beach], 200 yards east of the public access. It appears dead and is partly in the surf. There is no visible gear. I have a photo from the access path and can provide coordinates.” Give only observations; avoid presenting a guess as a confirmed species or cause of death.
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How far away should I stay?
Keep at least 100 yards away, following NOAA’s dead-large-whale and West Coast network guidance. A safe distance protects you from sudden movements, collapsing tissue, waves, and other physical hazards, and it reduces stress and disturbance if the whale is alive.
- Keep dogs and other pets away from the shoreline around the whale. Do not let a pet sniff, lick, or play near the carcass.
- Do not touch the whale, its blowhole, skin, teeth, baleen, blood, or bodily fluids.
- Do not climb on, sit on, cut, or remove anything from the carcass.
- Do not swim, wade, paddle, or pilot a boat toward a floating whale for a closer look.
- If the carcass is near a harbor, channel, vessel, rocks, surf, or another hazard, report that context and observe from a place where you cannot be pulled into the water.
- Ask other people to keep back, but do not put yourself in danger trying to control a crowd. Tell the responding authority if people or animals are gathering.
NOAA warns that close contact with marine mammals can cause physical injury and may expose people to infectious disease. A carcass can also shift with surf, tides, or decomposition, so a distance that seemed safe can change.
Why mustn’t I move or refloat the whale?
Do not move, tow, push, roll, or refloat a stranded whale. NOAA explains that stranded cetaceans require specialized care, and only trained, authorized responders should decide whether and how to return a live animal to the water.
Untrained intervention can worsen injuries, cause drowning, place rescuers in the animal’s path, damage equipment, or interfere with an organized response. It can also erase evidence that responders need to understand illness, injury, entanglement, vessel interaction, or other causes. Even a well-intentioned attempt to pull a whale with a personal watercraft or vehicle can injure the animal and the people involved.
For a dead whale, moving the body can create additional hazards and complicate examination. Response teams may collect health information from dead as well as living stranded marine mammals, so leave the carcass exactly where you found it unless officials give different instructions.
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Does a whale floating offshore need to be reported?
Yes. NOAA’s definition of a cetacean stranding includes a whale found dead on a beach or floating in the water, as well as a live whale on shore that cannot return to the water. A floating carcass may drift, sink, wash ashore, or create a navigation concern, so its location and condition are useful to responders.
Report the last known position, the direction it is moving if you can observe that from shore, and any nearby harbor, channel, or vessel hazard. Do not follow it by boat or swim out to verify its condition. If you cannot obtain exact coordinates, provide a shoreline landmark, bearing, time, and the direction in which the animal was drifting.
What happens after I report it?
The authorized network decides the next step based on the animal’s condition, location, safety risks, tides, access, and available response resources. A team may assess a live whale, coordinate disentanglement or medical care, document a dead animal, collect samples, or arrange another response. The public cannot determine the appropriate action from the beach.
Keep your phone available in case the responder needs a clearer landmark, a photograph, or an update. If the whale moves before the team arrives, call back with the new location rather than approaching it. Follow any instructions about temporary beach access, pets, or keeping people away.
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Reporting remains valuable even when the whale appears badly decomposed or has already been reported by someone else. Tell the network what you observed and let it decide whether a duplicate report or a follow-up visit is needed.
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How do I report a whale outside the United States?
Contact the wildlife, fisheries, conservation, or marine-mammal stranding authority responsible for the coast where the whale is located. The exact agency and phone number vary by country and, in some places, by province, state, or territory.
NOAA’s West Coast map includes selected contacts for Canada and Mexico, but its listings are not a worldwide directory. If you are outside the United States, use your national or regional government wildlife website, a local marine-mammal stranding network, or the authority responsible for the nearest protected coastline. Confirm that the contact covers the location you are reporting, and provide the same core information: exact position, condition, time, approximate size, safe-distance photos, and any visible human interaction.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What are the most common mistakes?
Most avoidable problems come from getting too close, delaying the call, or contacting an organization that cannot dispatch the authorized network.
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- Waiting for certainty: You do not need to identify the species or prove that the whale is dead before reporting it. Describe what you observe and let responders assess it.
- Using a generic emergency or municipal number without checking: Start with the marine-mammal stranding network or wildlife authority listed for the location. Local authorities may redirect you, but the NOAA directory is the direct U.S. starting point.
- Approaching for a better photograph: A distant, imperfect image is safer and more useful than a close image obtained by entering the surf or crowding the animal.
- Trying to help physically: Do not push a whale back into the water, cut gear, remove tags, or attach a rope. Wait for trained responders.
- Forgetting pets: Dogs can be injured or exposed to contaminants even when the whale is motionless. Keep them at least 100 yards away.
- Leaving out movement or hazards: Tell the network if the whale is drifting, near a navigation channel, entangled, or surrounded by people. These details affect responder safety and planning.
Can I make a useful report without knowing the whale’s species?
Yes. A plain description—such as “large dark whale, about 30 feet long, lying on its right side”—is more useful than a delayed call based on a doubtful identification. Include distinctive markings, visible fins or flukes, and an approximate length only if you can observe them safely.
Do not approach, handle, or inspect the animal to improve the description. The stranding network can identify the species and decide what information needs to be collected.
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What should I do while waiting for responders?
Stay at a safe observation point, keep others and pets back, and monitor the location only if doing so does not expose you to surf, traffic, weather, or other hazards. Keep notes about changes in position, condition, tide, or nearby activity, and pass those updates to the responding authority.
Do not organize a public rescue, accept help from untrained volunteers, or permit people to collect souvenirs. If you must leave, give the authority your callback number and the most precise location you can provide.
Quick checklist for reporting a whale
- Stand at least 100 yards away.
- Keep people and pets away.
- Do not touch, move, tow, or refloat the whale.
- Call the authorized stranding network for the animal’s location.
- Provide beach or shoreline details, landmarks, and coordinates if available.
- State whether it is alive, dead, injured, entangled, or floating offshore.
- Give the time seen, approximate length, and a description.
- Report visible tags, fishing gear, vessel contact, or other apparent human interaction.
- Send a distant photo only if safe.
- Follow the responder’s instructions and report any change in location.
The essential action is simple: report promptly, stay back, and let trained wildlife responders decide what happens next. Use the current NOAA Fisheries directory for U.S. contacts, because the correct hotline depends on the animal’s location and contact details can change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use NOAA’s Dolphin and Whale 911 app to report a sighting?
NOAA’s reporting page points Apple-device users to the Dolphin and Whale 911 app as an additional reporting route. Use it to send the location and condition to the appropriate network, and still follow the same 100-yard safety boundary.
Should I report a whale if someone else may already have called?
Yes, make the report and mention that you are unsure whether it has already been logged. The network can check for duplicate reports, and your location, time, or photograph may add information that the first caller did not have.
What if I cannot safely reach the beach where the whale is located?
Report the most precise position you can obtain from a safe place, such as a GPS point, shoreline landmark, harbor, or access road. Do not cross unstable rocks, enter surf, or use a boat to get closer just to improve the report.
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Why might responders examine a whale that is already dead?
Teams may examine a carcass and collect health information from dead stranded marine mammals. Those observations can help authorities document illness, injury, entanglement, or other factors, so a dead whale should still be reported promptly.
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