The National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS) defines a stranded animal as any dead marine mammal on shore, any live dolphin or whale cast ashore or unable to return to its natural habitat, or any live seal, which cannot leave shore due to injury or poor health.
A mass stranding is an event where two or more dolphins or whales (other than a mother/calf pair) strand at the same time in close proximity to one another. Mass strandings sometimes involve over 100 individual animals!
Every stranded animal, whether live or dead, offers a unique opportunity to learn more about the biology and ecology of that species.
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