Report a Stranded/ Beached Marine Animal
To respond to stranded (sometimes called "beached") marine mammals (whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and sea lions), we work with volunteer stranding networks (listed below) in all coastal states, coordinated by regional marine mammal stranding coordinators.
For stranded sea turtles, the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (STSSN), which includes federal, state and private partners, responds to strandings in coastal areas from Maine to Texas and portions of the U.S. Caribbean.
Alaska | Greater Atlantic (Northeast) | Pacific Islands | Southeast/ Caribbean | West Coast
Greater Atlantic (Northeast) Region
Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding & Entanglement Hotline
- 866-755-NOAA (6622)
Sea Turtle Stranding & Disentanglement Network
- phone numbers vary by state
Connecticut/ Rhode Island
- Mystic Aquarium
Mystic, CT
860-572-5955
Delaware
- MERR Institute, Inc.
Nassau, DE
302-228-5029
Maine
- Maine Marine Animal Reporting Hotline
800-532-9551 - Allied Whale, College of the Atlantic
Bar Harbor, ME - Marine Mammals of Maine
Maryland
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources
(dead animals only)
Cooperative Oxford Laboratory
Oxford, MD
800-628-9944 - National Aquarium in Baltimore, Marine Animal Rescue Program
(live animals only)
Baltimore, MD
410-576-3880
Massachusetts
- NMFS Greater Atlantic Region, Protected Resources Division
Gloucester, MA
978-281-9300 - NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Protected Species Branch
Woods Hole, MA
508-495-2000 - MA Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
508-349-2615 - New England Aquarium
Boston, MA
617-973-5247 - IFAW
Yarmouth Port, MA
508-743-9548 - The National Marine Life Center
(pinniped rehab only)
Buzzards Bay, MA
508-743-9888 - Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies
(entangled animals in the marine environment only)
Provincetown, MA
800-900-3622
New Hampshire
- Seacoast Science Center
Rye, NH
603-997-9448 - New England Aquarium
Boston, MA
617-973-5247
New Jersey
- Marine Mammal Stranding Center
Brigantine, NJ
609-266-0538
New York
- Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation
Riverhead, NY
631-369-9829
Rhode Island/Connecticut
- Mystic Aquarium
Mystic, CT
860-572-5955
Virginia
- Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
Virginia Beach, VA
757-385-7576
Washington D.C.
- Smithsonian Institute, National Museum of Natural History
Washington, DC
202-633-1260
Southeast Region Marine Mammal Stranding Network (including Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands)
- NMFS Southeast Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
- 877-433-8299
- 877-433-8299
- Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (STSSN)
- phone numbers vary by state
Alabama
- Alabama Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
1-877-WHALE-HELP (1-877-942-5343) - Alabama Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network Hotline
1-866-SEA-TURTLE (1-866-732-8878)
Florida
-
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)
Wildlife Alert Hotline
888-404-FWCC (3922)
- Florida Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network Contact
888-404-FWCC (3922)
- Central Panhandle Aquatic Preserve Office
Eastpoint, FL
- Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Clearwater, FL
- Dolphin Conservation Field Station at Marineland
St. Augustine, FL
- Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge, Inc.
Destin, FL
- Florida Aquarium
Tampa, FL
- Florida Marine Mammal Stranding Network - Southwest Region
Port Charlotte, FL
- FWC, FMRI Marine Mammal Pathobiology Laboratory
St. Petersburg, FL
- FWC Northeast Field Laboratory
Jacksonville, FL
- FWC Tallahassee
Tallahassee, FL
- Gulf Islands National Seashore
Gulf Breeze, FL
- Gulf World Marine Park
Panama City, FL
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute- Florida Atlantic University
Fort Pierce, FL
- Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute
Orlando, FL
- Marine Animal Rescue Society
Miami, FL
- Marine Mammal Conservancy, Inc.
Key Largo, FL
- Mote Marine Laboratory
Sarasota, FL
- NMFS SEFSC Miami Laboratory
Miami, FL
- NMFS SEFSC Panama City Laboratory
Panama City, FL
- Northwest Florida Aquatic Preserves Office, FDEP
Milton, FL
- SeaWorld Orlando
Orlando, FL
- Volusia County Stranding Network
DeLand, FL
Georgia
- Georgia Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
912-269-7587
- Georgia Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network Contact
912-280-6892
- Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Brunswick, GA
Louisiana
- Louisiana Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
504-235-3005
- Louisiana Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network Contact
225-765-2377
- Audubon Aquarium of the Americas
New Orleans, LA
- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Lake Charles, LA
Mississippi
- Mississippi Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
888-806-1674
- Mississippi Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network Contact
228-549-1628
- Institute for Marine Mammal Studies
Gulfport, MS
888-767-3657
- Gulf Islands National Seashore
Ocean Springs, MS
- NMFS SEFSC Pascagoula Laboratory
Pascagoula, MS
North Carolina
- North Carolina Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network hotline
252-241-7367
- North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries
Morehead City, NC
252-241-5119
- North Carolina Maritime Museum
Beaufort, NC
252-504-2452
- University of North Carolina- Wilmington
Marine Mammal Stranding Program
Wilmington, NC
910-254-5713
- Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Manteo, NC
- Duke University Marine Laboratory
Beaufort, NC
- North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
Fort Fisher, NC
- North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine
Morehead City, NC
- North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education
Corolla, NC
Puerto Rico
- Puerto Rico Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
787-538-4684 or
787-645-5595
- Mayaguez Zoo
Mayaguez, PR
- Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources
Santurce, PR
South Carolina
- South Carolina Stranding Hotline
800-922-5431
- Coastal Carolina University
Conway, SC
- NOS Charleston Laboratory
Charleston, SC
Texas
- Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network Hotline
Galveston, TX
800-9MAMMAL (800-962-6625)
- Texas Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network Contact
361-949-8173 ext. 226
- Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
Austwell, TX
- Texas State Aquarium
Corpus Christi, TX
U.S. Virgin Islands
- U.S. Virgin Islands Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
Virgin Islands Division of Fish & Wildlife
Frederiksted, VI
340-713-2422
West Coast Region Marine Mammal Stranding Network
West Coast Region Stranding Hotline
- 866-767-6114
California
Oregon
Puget Sound
Washington
Pacific Islands Region Marine Mammal Stranding Network (including American Samoa, Guam, and Northern Mariana Islands)
Pacific Islands Region Marine Mammal Stranding & Entanglement Hotline
- 888-256-9840
Hawaii
- Hawaii Sea Turtle Stranding Telephone and Pager Numbers
808-725-5730 (7:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., click link above for after hours contacts)
- NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office
Honolulu, HI
808-725-5000
- NMFS Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
Honolulu, HI
808-220-7802
- Hawaii State Division of Aquatic Resources
Honolulu, HI
808-282-0155
- Maui Marine Mammal Response Program
Kihei, HI
808-292-2372
- Hawaii Pacific University
Honolulu, HI
808-384-4485
- Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
Kihei, HI
808-879-2818
- University of Hawaii, Hilo
Hilo, HI
808- 217-6812
Guam, American Samoa, and Northern Mariana Islands, please contact the NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office:
Guam
- Guam Department of Agriculture
Hagatana, GU
808-725-5000
American Samoa
- American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources
Pago Pago, AS
808-725-5000
Northern Mariana Islands
- Northern Mariana College
Saipan, MP
808-725-5000
Alaska Region Marine Mammal Stranding Network
Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline
- 877-9-AKR-PRD (877-925-7773)
Alaska
- NMFS Alaska Regional Office, Juneau
Juneau, AK
907-586-7235
- NMFS Alaska Regional Office, Anchorage
Anchorage, AK
907-271-5006
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Fairbanks, AK
907-459-7214
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Haines, AK
907-766-2607
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Juneau, AK
907-465-6167
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Nome, AK
907-443-8191
- Alaska SeaLife Center
Seward, AK
888-774-7325
- Alaska Sea Otter and Stellar Sea Lion Commission
Old Harbor, Alaska
907-286-2377
- Alaska Whale Foundation
Petersburg, AK
May through September (operates from boat)
360-808-0579
- Aleut Community of St. Paul Island Tribal Government
St. Paul Island, AK
907-546-3200
- Bridge Veterinary Services
Juneau, AK
907-957-5022
- Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
Glacier Bay, AK
907-697-2664
- North Gulf Oceanic Society
Homer, AK
907-235-6590
- Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association
Ketchikan, AK
- Togiak National Wildlife Refuge
Dillingham, AK
907-842-1063
- University of Alaska, Fairbanks - Museum of the North
Fairbanks, AK
907-474-5998
- University of Alaska, Fairbanks - Sea Grant
Kodiak, AK
907-486-1517
- University of Alaska Southeast, Sitka Campus
Sitka, AK
907-747-7779
- City and Borough of Yakutat
Yakutat, AK
907-784-3329
NMFS National Enforcement Hotline for Violations
- 1-800-853-1964
Updated: November 2, 2015