05/25/2026
FYI 🐋 PSA 🌊 ATTN 💔
Stranded false killer whale / dolphin / whale in Collier County
Please
If you see a false killer whale, dolphin, or any whale washed up on a Collier County beach:
Call immediately: FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline 888-404-FWCC / 888-404-3922.
You can also call NOAA Southeast Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline: 877-WHALE-HELP / 877-942-5343. Florida’s listed marine mammal reporting contact is FWC.
Do not push the animal back into the water unless trained responders instruct you to. NOAA says not to touch or handle stranded marine mammals; they need trained assessment, and photos/video from a safe legal distance can help responders.
While waiting for FWC/Mote/authorized responders:
Keep people, dogs, and boats away.
Give the exact location, beach access point, time, number of animals, whether alive or dead, and photos/video from a safe distance.
Do not pour water into the blowhole.
Do not drag, roll, sit on, feed, or attempt to “ride out” the animal.
Ask dispatch to connect the report to the regional marine mammal stranding network and Mote Marine’s 24-hour marine animal rescue team. Mote states that stranded marine animals, dead or alive, in coastal Southwest Florida should be reported to its 24-hour hotline: 888-345-2335.
If trained responders attempt a refloat and the animal beaches again 🚨 that is a major warning sign. At that point, its best fighting chance may be professional transport, veterinary assessment, stabilization, and rehabilitation when medically appropriate. Mote is a listed Florida marine mammal stranding network partner, and Mote says many animals arrive in critical condition and are responded to in partnership with FWC.
What Collier County should prioritize
Collier County needs a clear live whale/dolphin stranding response plan that prioritizes rescue assessment before euthanasia whenever humane and medically possible:
A 24/7 rapid-response contact tree between beach patrol, sheriff, FWC, NOAA, Mote, veterinarians, and permitted stranding responders.
Pre-identified beach access points for rescue vehicles, slings, stretchers, shade, water support, and transport.
A public protocol: call FWC first, protect the scene, keep crowds back, document from a distance.
Agreements with authorized rehab partners, including Mote, for urgent transport when an animal is a candidate for rehabilitation.
Training for local officers, lifeguards, park staff, and volunteers so the first response is stabilization and expert evaluation... not immediate defeat.
A county-level review after every stranding: response time, who was notified, what options were considered, and what could improve.
The key message: Call FWC. Keep distance. Do not push it back yourself. Demand trained marine mammal responders be notified immediately.
RIP BABYGIRL 🐋 the ocean deserves a better effort from humanity 🌍
