Editing Openai/691a2c65-8cbc-8011-a9e4-17f22e37f0e9 (section)

==== 6. You did see something real and good happen ====

Even if the outcome is awful, a few things are still true:
* People cared enough to go out in dark, cold rain at midnight for a whale they didn’t know.
* Their efforts likely kept the whale from suffering worse overnight and bought time for professionals to properly assess.
* That is a kind of kinship with more-than-human relatives that matters, even when the ending is tragic.

Nothing about this is “okay,” but it is coherent in a grim way: given whale physiology, the injuries, the location, and our limited tools, euthanasia is often the least cruel option they have.

If it would help, I can also help you:
* process this a bit more (like, write something small to the whale, or a little ritual/gesture to honor him), or
* figure out concrete ways to support the Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network or efforts to reduce entanglement (like crab gear impacts, etc.) going forward.

And if you just want to stay in the feelings for a bit and vent, I’m here for that too. 🌊

Recent coverage of the Yachats whale strandingRegister-GuardLive humpback whale stranded near Yachats on Oregon ...<ref>{{cite web|title=Register-GuardLive humpback whale stranded near Yachats on Oregon ...|url=https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/2025/11/16/people-try-to-save-stranded-humpback-whale-near-yachats-on-oregon-coast/87305673007/|publisher=Register-GuardLive humpback whale stranded near Yachats on Oregon ...|date=2025-11-16|access-date=2025-11-17}}</ref>That Oregon LifeLive Humpback Whale Becomes Stranded Near Yachats, Drawing Overnight Crowd to Oregon CoastToday<ref>{{cite web|title=That Oregon LifeLive Humpback Whale Becomes Stranded Near Yachats, Drawing Overnight Crowd to Oregon CoastToday|url=https://thatoregonlife.com/2025/11/live-humpback-whale-stranded/|publisher=That Oregon LifeLive Humpback Whale Becomes Stranded Near Yachats, Drawing Overnight Crowd to Oregon CoastToday|access-date=2025-11-17}}</ref>Lincoln ChronicleJuvenile humpback whale washes ashore near Neskowin10 days ago<ref>{{cite web|title=Lincoln ChronicleJuvenile humpback whale washes ashore near Neskowin10 days ago|url=https://lincolnchronicle.org/juvenile-humpback-whale-washes-ashore-near-neskowin/|publisher=Lincoln ChronicleJuvenile humpback whale washes ashore near Neskowin10 days ago|access-date=2025-11-17}}</ref>Lincoln ChronicleHumpback whale euthanized after 30 hours on Waldport beach was healthy before stranding, necropsy showsSep 16, 2019<ref>{{cite web|title=Lincoln ChronicleHumpback whale euthanized after 30 hours on Waldport beach was healthy before stranding, necropsy showsSep 16, 2019|url=https://lincolnchronicle.org/humpback-whale-euthanized-after-30-hours-on-waldport-beach-was-healthy-before-stranding-necropsy-shows/|publisher=Lincoln ChronicleHumpback whale euthanized after 30 hours on Waldport beach was healthy before stranding, necropsy showsSep 16, 2019|access-date=2025-11-17}}</ref>