If you find a stranded dolphin, whale or other marine mammal in Spain, keep people back, note the exact location and call 112. Tell the call handler whether the animal is alive or dead, describe what you can see without approaching it, follow the dispatcher’s instructions and wait for trained responders. Do not try to treat, move or transport the animal yourself. The detailed response chain differs by autonomous community; Andalusia’s published system shows how a specialist team, veterinarian and recovery centre may become involved.
What to do in the first few minutes
A stranding can be urgent for both the animal and nearby people. The safest useful contribution from a member of the public is an accurate alert, not hands-on rescue.
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- Call 112 promptly. In Andalusia, the Junta de Andalucía asks the public to report cetacean and sea-turtle strandings whether the animal is alive or dead. Spain’s 112 service operates nationwide, although autonomous communities administer their own call services and may route incidents differently.
- Give the exact location. Use a beach name, access point, promenade, road, harbour, GPS position or another landmark that lets a team find the site quickly. Say whether the animal is on the sand, rocks, mud, a quay or in shallow water.
- Describe only what you can safely observe. Tell the operator the apparent species or size if you know it, whether it is moving or breathing, whether it is bleeding or entangled, and how many animals are present. Do not get close merely to collect details.
- Create distance. Keep children, pets and crowds away from the animal and leave a clear route for responders. Follow any instructions from the call handler or local officials.
- Wait for the specialist team. The official process assigns assessment, primary care, veterinary decisions, transfer and rehabilitation to trained responders. Stay available to guide them to the location, but do not handle or transport the animal.
If the animal is dead, report it as well. A carcass can provide information about disease, pollution, fishing interaction or other threats, and the response team must decide whether examination is appropriate.
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Who to call if you find a stranded dolphin or whale
Call 112. It is Spain’s general emergency number and the correct starting point for a stranded marine mammal when you do not already have a local authority’s specific reporting route.
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The national 112 information page, updated 1 October 2026, explains that the number works throughout Spain while the autonomous communities operate the emergency call services. That arrangement means the number is consistent but the receiving service, specialist network and practical instructions can vary by region.
In Andalusia, a 112 notice is passed to the Marine Emergency telephone service. That service alerts the provincial technical team, which organises the response for the individual case. In Mallorca, the Palma Aquarium Foundation says 112 contacts its marine-fauna stranding network. These are examples of regional organisation, not a promise that every community uses the same network.
How an Andalusian rescue is organised
Andalusia publishes the clearest current operational sequence in the available official material. Its service runs throughout the year and separates the initial public alert from specialist decisions at the scene.
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After the 112 call, the Marine Emergency telephone service informs the provincial technical team. The team considers the location, the animal’s condition and the resources needed, then organises the response.
2. A team assesses a live animal
For a live stranding, a team member travels to the site to assess the animal and provide primary care. A veterinarian is expected to attend within two hours under the published Andalusian process. The veterinary assessment covers health and prognosis and determines what can responsibly happen next.
3. Transfer is considered case by case
An animal judged suitable for further care may be moved to an Andalusian Marine Environment Management Centre (CEGMA) or to a collaborating recovery centre. There, professionals can perform veterinary diagnosis and treatment, monitor recovery and assess whether reintroduction is realistic. Transfer is not automatic, and neither rehabilitation nor release is guaranteed.
4. The outcome follows the veterinary assessment
Some animals may recover sufficiently for release; others may require longer care or may not have a viable prognosis. The decision belongs to the responding technical and veterinary personnel, who must account for welfare, disease risk, injuries and the animal’s ability to survive after release.
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Andalusian responders record the stranding and collect biometric information from dead animals. If a cetacean is in suitable condition, the team may take it for a necropsy. If examination is not appropriate, municipal cleaning services remove the carcass.
A necropsy is more than an administrative step. Standardised examination and sampling can identify injuries, infection, toxins, nutritional problems or human-related causes and can help authorities improve protection measures. A member of the public should not cut, open, tow or otherwise alter a carcass; doing so can destroy evidence and create a health risk.
The Junta de Andalucía’s 2025 update reports 290 necropsy diagnoses. The cases correspond to 2015, 2016, 2017, 2024 and 2025; the update does not present that number as a count for one single calendar year.
Why the public should not attempt a hands-on rescue
A stranded cetacean is heavy, vulnerable to pressure on its body and potentially stressed by noise and crowds. A person who pushes it, drags it, feeds it, gives it medication or tries to carry it to a vehicle can worsen its condition and make professional assessment harder. The official Andalusian workflow assigns primary care and veterinary decisions to specialist teams for a reason.
There is also a human-safety issue. Large animals can thrash unexpectedly, and even a smaller animal can injure someone with its tail, teeth or body movement. An animal that appears calm may be in severe distress. Keep a safe distance, do not sit on it or attempt to restrain it, and do not enter the water to intervene unless emergency professionals explicitly direct you to do so.
Do not present yourself to other bystanders as a rescuer. Your role is to protect the scene, make a precise report and help responders locate the animal.
What information makes a 112 report useful
A short, factual report helps the call service choose the right response without asking you to examine the animal closely.
| Information | What to tell the operator |
|---|---|
| Location | Beach or harbour name, nearest access, landmark, municipality and, if available, a map position. |
| Animal | Approximate size, number of animals and whether it appears to be a dolphin, whale or another marine animal. Say when you are unsure. |
| Condition | Alive or dead; moving or still; visible breathing; obvious bleeding, entanglement or severe injury if visible from a safe distance. |
| Site conditions | Whether the animal is on shore, among rocks, in a harbour or in shallow water; tides, waves or access problems that could affect the team. |
| People nearby | Whether a crowd, children, pets, boats or vehicles are close enough to create a hazard. |
| Your contact | A phone number and a description of where you will wait, if the operator asks you to remain available. |
Do not delay the call while trying to identify the species or obtain photographs. If you can take a picture without moving toward the animal, you may offer it to responders, but the exact location and immediate safety information matter more.
How regional procedures differ across Spain
Spain has a national framework for observing, assisting and recovering stranded marine mammals and turtles. The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) describes a coordinated project completed in May 2000, including material on stranding networks, recovery centres and response protocols. That framework is useful national context, but it does not establish that every detail remains the current operating procedure in every autonomous community.
For a person on the beach, the practical constant is 112. The regional differences begin after the call is received.
| Question | What is established | What may vary |
|---|---|---|
| Who receives the alert? | 112 receives emergency reports throughout Spain. | The autonomous community’s call service and internal routing. |
| Who attends? | A regional specialist network or technical team is engaged. | The named organisation, provincial team and available personnel. |
| What happens to a live animal? | Professionals assess it and decide on care or transfer. | The recovery centre, veterinary resources and release criteria. |
| What happens to a dead animal? | Officials record the event and decide whether examination is useful. | Necropsy facilities, sampling arrangements and municipal removal. |
| What should the finder do? | Report, provide the location, keep people back and follow instructions. | Any additional scene directions issued by the local service. |
Do not assume that an instruction published for Andalusia or Mallorca automatically applies in Galicia, the Canary Islands, Catalonia or another community. Call 112 and use the directions for the place where the animal is found.
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Mallorca’s published reporting route
The Palma Aquarium Foundation advises that a cetacean in difficulty should be reported through 112. The call service then contacts its marine-fauna stranding network. Its public guidance asks the finder to provide the exact location and wait for the response team.
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This is a Mallorca-specific organisation pathway. It illustrates why a caller should use 112 rather than trying to locate a specialist number independently: the emergency service can connect the incident with the network responsible for that area.
What “rescue” can mean in practice
People often use “rescue” to mean that an animal is returned to the sea. In official operations, it can describe several different stages:
- Detection and reporting: a member of the public or another observer alerts 112.
- Scene assessment: trained personnel document the animal’s condition and the risks at the site.
- Primary care: responders provide immediate professional care while coordinating veterinary attendance.
- Transfer: an eligible live animal may go to a CEGMA or collaborating recovery centre.
- Rehabilitation: veterinarians and technical staff diagnose, treat and monitor the animal.
- Reintroduction or another outcome: release is considered only if the animal’s condition and prognosis support it.
- Post-mortem investigation: a dead cetacean may undergo necropsy and sampling, or be removed by municipal services when examination is unsuitable.
Because these stages depend on the individual case, “a team has been called” does not mean that release will follow.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the published numbers show—and what they do not
The Junta de Andalucía reports more than 1,400 cetaceans and more than 1,300 turtles on Andalusian coasts during the preceding ten years cited on its public page. That passage does not specify the start and end calendar years, so those figures should not be assigned to a particular decade.
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The figures demonstrate the scale of the regional stranding workload, not a probability that any particular animal will survive. Species, injuries, weather, disease, time since stranding and access to veterinary care all affect the outcome. They also should not be treated as a nationwide count for Spain.
Common situations and the safest response
You see a live animal on a beach
Call 112, give the exact position, keep the crowd back and wait. Do not attempt to roll the animal, return it to the water or pour substances over it unless a local specialist explicitly instructs you.
You see a dead animal
Call 112 and report that it is dead. Keep people and pets away and do not touch, cut or move the carcass. Responders will decide whether biometric recording, necropsy or municipal removal is appropriate.
You see an animal in shallow water or near a harbour
Call 112 and describe the water location and hazards. Do not enter the water or use a boat to tow the animal. The dispatcher can direct the appropriate regional network.
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Ask people to step back without putting yourself in danger, keep a clear access route and tell 112 that crowd control may be needed. Do not allow children or dogs to approach.
You are travelling and do not know the local organisation
Use 112. The number is available throughout Spain, and the regional call service can route the report even when you do not know the name of the local stranding network.
How to support rescue work without interfering
The central public action does not require equipment. Handling gear, first-aid supplies, transport equipment and rescue manuals are not substitutes for the regional response system and can encourage unsafe intervention by untrained people.
If you want to support conservation beyond an incident, look for an established regional stranding network, public authority or recovery centre and verify its current contact, volunteering and donation arrangements directly. A rescue organisation’s involvement in a 112 response does not by itself establish a donation programme, partnership or fundraising link.
Quick Recap
Key takeaways for a stranded marine mammal in Spain
- Call 112 as soon as you find the animal, whether it is alive or dead.
- Give an exact location and a concise description of what you can safely observe.
- Keep people and pets back, preserve access for responders and follow the dispatcher’s instructions.
- Do not feed, medicate, push, tow, restrain, transport or otherwise treat the animal yourself.
- In Andalusia, 112 routes the alert through the Marine Emergency service to a provincial technical team; a veterinarian is expected within two hours for a live-animal incident under the published process.
- Rehabilitation and release are possible outcomes for selected animals, not guaranteed results.
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