Update: Despite efforts to help, the stranded humpback whale near Yachats was euthanized after rescue attempts failed. Her death is heartbreaking — and preventable. Oregon must not let this happen again.

Right now, a young humpback whale is stranded and still alive on the beach near Yachats, Oregon. Over the weekend, this whale became entangled in fishing gear and washed ashore, and now thousands of people are watching helplessly, hoping for a miracle.

But it shouldn't come down to hope.

Oregon has no fully equipped, rapid-response team dedicated to marine mammal rescues. By the time the right people are called, coordinated, and on site — it’s often too late. Volunteers want to help, but can’t. Officials are left without the gear or support they need to act quickly. And the whales? They suffer in full public view, without the intervention they desperately need.

We’re calling on the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to create and fund a Rapid Response Whale Rescue Unit: a team trained, equipped, and empowered to step in immediately when whales or other marine mammals are entangled, stranded, or in distress.

This isn’t the first stranded whale Oregon has seen, and it won’t be the last. But if we act now, it can be the last time we stand by and watch one suffer without the tools to help.

The public cares deeply — over 5,000 people tuned in live to witness this whale’s struggle. Let’s turn that heartbreak into action.

We’re urging state officials to:

• Establish a dedicated marine mammal rescue unit under ODFW
• Fund gear, transport, and training necessary for fast intervention
• Coordinate with existing stranding networks and local marine experts

The science exists. The tools exist. What’s missing is the funding and the will. Let’s change that now, before another whale ends up stranded, alone, and out of time.

Sign and share if you believe Oregon must act to protect marine life — starting with this whale, and the next.

Photo: Mark Graves