Saving Stranded & Entangled Whales

Thanks to support from caring people like you, our Marine Mammal Rescue team is known worldwide for proving that pilot whales and other species can be rescued and returned to the sea.  Of course, we can't save every animal, but we're pleased to report a release rate of at least 50%.  We also have the only successful mass stranding prevention program in the world. To date, we have successfully stopped over 200 dolphins from mass stranding by herding them safely into deeper water.  Now we're working to perfect our techniques and provide training for as many other groups as possible to ensure whale and dolphin rescue rates continue to improve.

It's not all rescues though ... research also saves lives.

We collect critical scientific data on every stranded animal and then use the information to improve stranding preparations, adjust our response efforts to reflect the latest scientific developments and improve our humane care for every animal we touch.

Sadly, a deadly maze of fishing gear is also posing a growing threat to the safety of whales worldwide. The problem is almost always accidental, but fishing gear can still be fatal for whales and other marine mammals.  Some drown and die quickly. Others linger, and may live for weeks or months as the deadly gear tightens, leading to eventualy infection, illness and often death. For example, nearly three out of every four known North Atlantic right whales have scars from past entanglements with commercial fishing gear.

Once a whale is tangled in fishing gear, it is hard and dangerous work to cut it free. Entangled whales are often frightened and injured, and will try to swim away or dive to escape their would-be rescuers. High seas, bad weather and remote locations can also combine to create challenging conditions, and sometimes it is simply too dangerous to try to free an entangled whale.

IFAW is working with volunteers and professionals to create new, safer and more effective methods of freeing right whales from entangling fishing gear and ropes. For years, IFAW has supported rescue efforts, including the Campobello Whale Rescue Team, a group of volunteer whale rescuers based on Canada’s Campobello Island, near Maine.