All marine mammals and sea turtles are designated as protected species by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and/or the Endangered Species Act. 

Virginia has a rich diversity of marine mammal and sea turtle species.  

Five endangered species of sea turtles have been found in Virginia’s waters: Loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley, Leatherback, Atlantic hawksbill and the Atlantic green sea turtle. 

There are 32 marine mammal species and all five sea turtle species in the state stranding records. Strandings of marine mammals in Virginia have included cetaceans such as harbor porpoises, bottlenose dolphins, humpback and fin whales; and, pinnipeds such as harbor, grey, harp and hooded seals.

With support from the Virginia CZM Program, the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center Foundation’s Stranding Response Program (VAQS) maintains a statewide stranding network and responds to marine mammal strandings (average 99/year from 2003-2012, 427 in 2013, average 99/year from 2014-2019) and sea turtle strandings (average 248/year from 2010-2019) throughout the tidal waters and shorelines along the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay. 

Although most of these stranded animals are not alive, Aquarium staff have successfully rescued and rehabilitated many sea turtles and seals, and released them back into their natural habitats. 

Animals that are successfully rehabilitated but unable to be returned to the wild are placed with professionally managed zoological parks or aquariums. 

Stranded sea turtles from other states within the region also are often transferred to the Aquarium for rehabilitation care. 

Whenever possible, rehabilitated animals are monitored after release using satellite tags that record information such as location and dive behavior, adding to our knowledge of the biology and ecology of the species in the mid-Atlantic region.

The VAQS staff recruits, trains and coordinates a volunteer stranding team with approximately 60 members. Additionally, stranding response cooperators within the state network include state and federal parks staff, game wardens and biologists, military base personnel, U.S. Coast Guard, VMRC, VDGIF, life guards and law enforcement officers.

The VAQS views each stranding event as an opportunity for education about natural history, threats (such as marine debris ingestion, entanglements, vessel strikes and disease) and conservation needs of Virginia's sea turtle and marine mammal species. 

Continued monitoring of standing trends also will be critical to determining whether potential changes in management can reduce strandings.

Virginia Sea Turtle & Marine Mammal Stranding Network 2021 Grant Report (PDF)
Virginia Sea Turtle & Marine Mammal Stranding Network 2020 Grant Report (PDF)
Virginia Sea Turtle & Marine Mammal Stranding Network 2019 Grant Report (PDF)
Virginia Sea Turtle and Marine Mammal Stranding Network 2018 Grant Report (PDF)