This humpback whale washed ashore on Assateague Island in summer 2024 and was investigated by Maryland DNR’s Stranding Response Program. Photo by Amanda Weschler, Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources asks residents and visitors enjoying coastal and tidal waterways to remain alert for marine mammals and sea turtles into summer through early fall.
Dolphins, manatees, sea turtles, whales, and other marine wildlife are regular seasonal visitors to the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries, the Atlantic Ocean, and coastal bays. So far in 2025, Maryland has reported a higher-than-average number of strandings.
The five-year average (2020–2024) for marine mammal strandings in Maryland from January to May was 10 cases. As of June, the stranding program has responded to 29 animals.
Anyone who sees a marine mammal or sea turtle in Maryland waters is encouraged to report it via the Maryland Natural Resources Police Hotline, 800-628-9944, or use a simple online form to report deceased marine mammals or sea turtles. Anglers, boaters, and beachgoers should especially be on the lookout for stranded, dead, sick, injured, or entangled animals.
“Citizen reports allow us to have eyes on Maryland’s 3,190 miles of tidal coastline,” said Stranding Response Program Coordinator Amanda Weschler. “The data provided about each deceased animal and the select necropsies we perform contribute valuable information to the scientific understanding of the challenges protected species face in our waters.”
Since 1990, Maryland’s Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Response Program has collected reports of more than 1,590 strandings.
One of the first cases the staff responded to in April was a West Indian manatee, reported by a private citizen kayaking on the Pocomoke River in Worcester County. DNR biologists determined that it likely stranded in late summer or early fall of 2024.
This was the first known stranded manatee in Maryland since November 2016. West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) are considered an “out-of-habitat” species in Maryland, making this sighting particularly rare.
Other animal strandings to which DNR has responded in 2025 are:
- 13 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)
- Two grey seals (Halichoerus grypus)
- One harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)
- One humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
- Five loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta)
- One minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)
- Five short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis)
Partners in the Stranding Network within the Greater Atlantic Region are reporting an increased number of whale, dolphin, and porpoise strandings this season, suggesting a higher-than-average trend.
The Standing Response Program supports federal regulations, such as the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act, which safeguard these marine species. By conducting necropsies (similar to human autopsies) on deceased animals, the program gathers essential data about the health of individual animals, the status of coastal populations, and the overall condition of Maryland’s marine environment.
Marine animals strand for a variety of reasons, including old age, disease, major trauma (vessel strike), predation, entanglement in fishing gear, and parasitism.
Not all reported animals are viable for necropsy due to factors such as decomposition, resource availability, and the accessibility and safety of the stranding site. In cases where necropsy is not feasible, Stranding Program staff collect morphometric data, stranding location information, and take photographs. The deceased animal may be left at the stranding site to decompose naturally, benefiting the ecosystem. Alternate disposal methods include burial on-site or removal to designated disposal facilities, depending on the circumstances and local regulations. A list of relevant contacts for individuals seeking assistance with disposal is listed on the DNR website.
The department urges anyone who encounters a stranded animal, alive or dead, to maintain a safe and respectful distance and record details, including photos, to provide with a report.
