Whales stranded in Denmark left to nature

The Danish Environmental Protection Agency has updated its guidelines advising that large whales stranded on Danish coasts should not be euthanized or pulled back into the sea. Instead, they should be left alone to let nature take its course, says marine mammal expert Nynne Elmelund Lemming from the agency. This approach is specified as the general rule in the existing emergency plan for marine mammals, but each situation may warrant a specific assessment. The change clarifies how to deal with situations like the orca that stranded in 2022 but eventually swam away on its own. While opinions vary on whether to intervene, the current plan states clearly that rescue attempts should be refrained. However, smaller marine mammals like porpoises and seals may be euthanized by the Nature Agency when practical and ethical.