Across seven years, annual strandings ranged roughly 128–161, with 2025 a relative low. More notable: the live share fell to a seven-year low (just 7 animals, 5.5%). Total ups and downs don’t necessarily reflect population change — reporting coverage and environment play in — so long-term tracking is what makes the numbers readable.
Stranding data
One rescue network, two different ocean signals
Both cetaceans and sea turtles enter the Marine Animal Rescue Network through 118, but their totals, seasons and locations differ. These official OCA tables and MARN reports place both groups in one view.
Cetaceans
Signals from coastal waters and offshore islands
Taiwan recorded 128 stranded cetaceans in 2025: 121 dead and 7 alive. The views below retain the annual trend, month, county, cause and species detail.
Strandings over the last seven years
2019–2025, dead vs live individuals (animals)
DeadAlive
Seasonality of strandings
Monthly strandings in 2025 (animals)
Winter (Dec–Feb)Other months
Strandings cluster clearly in winter and early spring. Strong northeast-monsoon waves, water-temperature swings and migration seasons can all make weakened animals more likely to wash ashore.
Strandings by county
Strandings per county in 2025 (animals)
Offshore islandsMain island
Lienchiang, Kinmen and Penghu — three offshore-island counties — total 65 animals, 51% of all of Taiwan. The coastal finless porpoise populations around the islands are the hotspot within the hotspot.
Causes of stranding
Determinations for the 128 animals examined in 2025
Suspected human activityOther determinations
A full 70% were too decomposed to determine a cause of death — and that share keeps rising (about 56% in 2020 → 70% in 2025). The later an animal is found, the harder the truth is to reach; that is exactly why timely reporting and digitization matter. Confirmed human-activity causes (bycatch, strikes) account for 15% — only the provable tip of the iceberg.
Stranded species in 2025
21 species, 128 animals over the year. The finless porpoise alone accounts for nearly half, reflecting the pressure on offshore coastal populations.
Key speciesOther species
Strandings concentrate heavily — the top five species make up three quarters. And the finless porpoise share keeps climbing: about 29% in 2020, 39% in 2022, 45% by 2025. This coastal porpoise’s range overlaps intensely with human activity; the pressure deserves vigilance.
Sea turtles
More reports, with a different spatial pattern
Taiwan recorded 330 stranded sea turtles in 2025: 197 dead and 133 alive. Yilan, Penghu and Taitung had the three highest county totals.
Seven-year sea turtle stranding trend
2019–2025, dead and alive (animals)
DeadAlive
After reaching 359 in 2021, annual totals stayed around 315–330 for three years. The 133 live animals in 2025 were the highest in this series. Reporting coverage, set-net reports and discovery opportunity also affect totals, so they are not direct population estimates.
Sea turtle strandings by county
2025 county totals (animals)
Top three countiesOther counties
Yilan (76), Penghu (58) and Taitung (57) together made up 58% of the year. This differs markedly from the cetacean concentration in Lienchiang, Kinmen and Penghu.
Sea turtle incident types
Classification of 330 reports in 2025
Fisheries-relatedOther types
Shore strandings were 59% and fisheries bycatch 27%, followed by drifting animals, derelict-net entanglement and other events. These categories describe how cases were found, not a complete cause-of-death diagnosis.
Sea turtle species stranded in 2025
330 animals, mostly green sea turtles
Green sea turtleOther species
Green sea turtles numbered 259 (78%), followed by 39 olive ridleys and 27 hawksbills. Habitat use and human pressures differ among species.