Every year, thousands of whales are stranded on beaches, though no one knows the exact figure. Since many incidents take place on deserted coasts that are not monitored regularly, and whale stranding data are not collected systematically, successful rescues of mass-stranded whales are very rare. Many strandings are not discovered until it’s too late — a rescue operation must start within hours if the whales are to survive. Moreover, the location must be easily accessible, the appropriate equipment must be readily available, experienced people must be close by, and the whales cannot be too large. Sperm whales, for example, are normally too heavy to be maneuvered into open water again. A mass stranding is unfortunately almost always a collective death sentence for a pod of whales.