Officials sound alarm after finding whales and dolphins washed up on UK shores: 'It's nerve-wracking'

A rescue organization is urgently seeking volunteers willing to get their feet wet — literally — after observing an alarming uptick in marine life strandings on United Kingdom shores. 

According to the BBC, the British Divers Marine Life Rescue needs people willing to assess, render first aid, and refloat stranded animals. The organization's data shows that the number of known live strandings more than doubled between 2018 and 2025, from 22 to 46.  

This year has brought similar challenges early on. 

"There is a general upward increase in recent years of strandings around the UK, and we're also getting busier  — particularly after winter storms," Dan Jarvis, BDLMR's director of welfare and conservation, told the BBC.

Sadly, bycatch is the top cause of these deaths. 

Bycatch occurs when fishing gear captures non-target species, from cetaceans like porpoises to loggerhead turtles. According to the World Wildlife Fund, at least 300,000 small whales, dolphins, and porpoises are killed every year as a result of fishing-net entanglement. 

Since 1988, BDMLR has been rescuing marine creatures, regardless of the reason for their strandings. The organization also equips volunteers to take action in their communities. 

Jarvis told the BBC that whales are the most difficult to rescue because of their massive size. 

To teach volunteers how to safely handle the creatures, he explained that BDMLR uses a replica whale weighing 2 metric tons. Trainees maneuver the replica onto a large mat with inflatables and then walk the system into deeper waters and rock it.

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This coordinated rocking motion helps whales recover their muscle and blood circulation, setting the stage for their survival upon release. The exhilarating process often inspires observers to get involved in rescue missions, according to the report. 

However, intervening without proper training can do more harm than good. Accidentally broken fins from repeated rolling are a problem with dolphins, for example. 

BDMLR's head veterinary consultant, Natalie Arrow, told the BBC that safe handling techniques are also crucial because marine life can spread diseases to humans. 

If members of the public come across a stranded marine animal, they should call a certified rescue organization like BDMLR and keep the animal "cool and moist," per the outlet. Water should not enter the blowhole, and keeping large crowds away will minimize its stress. 

The high-stakes nature of rescues can make things tense. Still, for Jarvis, the effort is worth it when he witnesses a marine creature swim free once more.

"It's nerve-wracking," he told the BBC. "When we refloat an animal, we're assessing it in the water for the first time. Seeing it swim off strongly is exhilarating — it means it has a good chance."

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