MARYLAND - The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says the state is experiencing higher-than-average numbers of marine animal strandings compared to previous years.
According to DNR, the five-year average from January to May was 10 marine mammal stranding cases. In 2025 so far, DNR says their stranding program has responded to 29.
Animals found stranded included bottlenose dolphins, grey seals, a humpback whale, loggerhead sea turtles, and a minke whale, DNR says.
In April of 2025, officials say they responded to a West Indian manatee found by a neighbor kayaking on the Pocomoke River in Worcester County. It was the first reported stranded manatee in Maryland since 2016, according to DNR.
“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.”
Officials say marine animals become stranded for a variety of reasons including old age, disease, major trauma, predation, fishing gear entanglement, and parasites.
Anyone who encounters a marine mammal or sea turtle in Maryland waters is asked to report it via the Maryland Natural Resources Police Hotline at 800-628-9944. Deceased marine mammals or sea turtles can also be reported via this online form.
“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,” DNR officials said.