Report Injured, Dead or Entangled Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles
All marine mammals and most sea turtles are protected under federal law(s). Reporting important sightings will help officials to monitor these protected populations. Make sure for any sighting you note the location and take photos. If possible, stand by an animal in distress (from a safe distance) until authorities arrive.
What should I report?
Please call in any entangled, injured/ship struck, animals in distress, or dead animals and any right whale sightings! See more below.
Entangled animals
Whales and sea turtles that become entangled in fishing gear are at risk of severe injury and even death if they are unable to free themselves. There are permitted teams of researchers to carry out the highly dangerous task of attempting to free an animal from entanglement. NOTE: You should NEVER attempt to remove any gear yourself due to risk of injury to both human and whale/sea turtle. Entangled whales are known to thrash violently when they are in distress.
Injured/vessel struck animals
At least 1 in 10 humpback whales in the Gulf of Maine alone have scars from a collision with a vessel, however these collisions are hardly ever reported. In Hawaiʻi, 172 humpback whales are confirmed to have been impacted by vessel contact since reporting began in 1979. These strikes can have both short- and long-term impacts, ranging from blood loss and broken bones to chronic infections and even death. This is a threat to all whale species, and it is important for researchers to know when a strike has happened so that they can monitor the affected individual. Often times a whale will have fresh injuries and scars from the spinning propeller of a vessel, as seen below.
Dead animals
Being able to account for any dead animals will help make sure their population estimates are as accurate as possible. For endangered species, every individual matters! Depending on the condition, researchers may also want to do a necropsy (animal autopsy) to determine the cause of death and collect other samples. If you see a dead animal, make sure you report the sighting.
East Coast
Report any right whale sightings!
North Atlantic right whales are a critically endangered species. Each sighting gets added to a national database to better track their movements and allow researchers to advise on better protection measures. Even if a right whale appears healthy and perfectly fine, we still want to know about it!
NOTE: It is illegal to approach a right whale within 500 yards (1,500ft).
How to report other sightings
Via the Whale Alert app on Apple or Android devices.
West Coast
Federal law prohibits approaching all whale species within 100 yards.
Reporting Hotlines
To report a dead, injured, or stranded marine mammal along the West Coast (i.e., off California, Oregon, and Washington):
- West Coast Region Stranding Hotline: 1-866-767-6114
- Regional Stranding Response Contacts
To report entangled marine mammals:
- Entanglement Reporting Hotline: 1-877-SOS-WHAL or 1-877-767-9425
- The U.S. Coast Guard: VHF Ch. 16
To report harassments and other violations to law enforcement:
- NOAA Enforcement Hotline: 1-800-853-1964
To report derelict gear:
- Derelict Gear Hotline: 1-855-542-3935
Learn more about West Coast Reporting.
Hawaiʻi
Federal law prohibits approaching humpback whales within 100 yards (90 meters) in Hawaiian waters.
Report an injured or entangled marine mammal via the NOAA Marine Mammal Hotline, 1-888-256-9840.
Suspect a close approach or other violation? Call the NOAA Fisheries Enforcement Hotline, 1-800-853-1964.
Saving humpback whales in Hawai‘i from entanglement threat is a community effort and the best way to help an animal is to immediately alert authorized, trained, and well-equipped personnel using the above hotlines.