To report an injured, entangled or stranded turtle, dolphin or whale in Panama, call MiAmbiente's free line, 311, or use the webchat on miambiente.gob.pa. If anyone is in danger in the water, call 911 or SENAN on VHF 16 first. Give the position, the species and its condition. Keep your distance, and don't try to free a large whale yourself.
Who to call
| Situation | Call |
|---|---|
| A person is in danger, or a boat is involved in a collision | 911 and ask for SENAN, or VHF 16 |
| Injured, entangled or stranded turtle, dolphin, whale or other marine animal | MiAmbiente 311 (free), or the webchat on miambiente.gob.pa |
| Harassment of whales or dolphins, or a boat breaking the watching rules | MiAmbiente 311; MiAmbiente's cetacean programme has also listed [email protected] |
| Illegal fishing, nets or gear catching animals, lobster sold in the closed season | ARAP, using the WhatsApp line on arap.gob.pa (+507 6954-4239 at the time of writing) |
| Mangrove cutting, dumping, oil or fuel in the water | MiAmbiente 311; for spills, see reporting an oil or fuel spill |
Inside a park, also tell the rangers, for example at Gambute in Coiba. In Guna Yala, tell the saila of the nearest community as well. They will want to know, and they can often reach help faster than a call to the city.
What to tell them
- Position. Latitude and longitude from your plotter or phone, plus a landmark, such as "200 m south of Isla Contadora".
- Species and size, as best you can: turtle, dolphin, whale, ray, shark, bird. A photo helps more than a guess.
- Condition. Alive or dead, floating or beached, bleeding, entangled (in what: net, line, rope), breathing normally or not.
- Time you saw it, and the state of the tide on a Pacific beach.
- Your name and a number they can call back. Stay on the line or stand by on VHF if you can.
Take photos and short videos from a safe distance. They help the responders decide what to send, and they are your record if you were the boat involved.
What not to do
- Don't cut a large whale free. An entangled whale can kill a person in the water or on a small boat. Keep well back, keep it in sight if you can, and wait for trained responders.
- Don't push a stranded dolphin or whale back out. Stranded animals are often sick, and they strand again. Keep people and dogs back, and keep the noise down.
- Don't pull a hooked turtle aboard by the line. Bring it alongside gently and cut the line as close to the hook as you safely can.
- Don't keep or move protected animals, or their eggs or hatchlings, yourself. Ley 371 of 2023 bans keeping turtles, even with good intentions, unless authorities direct it.
- Don't crowd the scene. Rules on distance and harassment still apply, and more boats make it worse.
When you can help a small animal
Sometimes the problem is simple: a small turtle with a loop of fishing line round a flipper, or a seabird tangled in mono. If it's alongside, calm and small enough to handle safely, you can cut the line away. Use blunt scissors, hold the shell or body rather than the flippers or head, keep it in the water where possible, and let it go where you found it. Report it to 311 afterwards, with photos.
For anything larger, anything bleeding badly, or anything that fights, step back and call. A stranded dolphin should be kept wet and shaded while help comes, with water poured clear of the blowhole. That's general stranding-response practice; follow MiAmbiente's instructions on the call if they differ.
Dead animals, carcasses and nesting beaches
- A dead whale or large turtle floating offshore is a hazard to navigation, especially at night. Report it to 311 and, if it's in a busy channel or near the canal approaches, to SENAN on VHF 16 so other boats are warned.
- Don't take parts. Shell, bones, teeth and baleen from protected species are covered by the bans on trade in turtle and cetacean products. Leave them where they are.
- Nesting beaches. If you see people taking eggs, lights on a nesting beach or vehicles on the sand, report it on 311. MiAmbiente and SENAN have arrested people for crimes against sea turtles.
If your boat hit an animal
Collisions with turtles, dolphins and whales happen, mostly at speed. Stop, check everyone aboard and check for hull or running-gear damage. Then report it to 311 with the position and what you saw. If the boat is damaged or anyone is hurt, call 911 or VHF 16 first.
Write down the time, position, speed and conditions while they're fresh, and keep your photos. The boat incident report template has the fields. If you were chartering, tell the operator. The rules that help avoid a strike in the first place are in turtles, dolphins and rays and whale-watching rules.
Your practical starting checklist
- If anyone is in danger, call 911 or SENAN on VHF 16 first.
- Note the position, species, condition and time, and take photos from a distance.
- Call MiAmbiente on 311 or use the webchat on miambiente.gob.pa.
- Report illegal fishing or gear to ARAP through the WhatsApp line on its website.
- Tell park rangers or the local saila if you are in a park or in Guna Yala.
- Keep back, keep others back, and don't try to free a large whale.
Frequently asked questions
Who do I call about an injured sea turtle in Panama?
MiAmbiente's free line, 311, or the webchat on miambiente.gob.pa. Give the position, a photo and the turtle's condition.
What do I do if I see an entangled whale?
Keep well back, note the position, take photos and call 311. Don't try to cut it free; that needs trained responders.
Is there a marine stranding hotline in Panama?
We haven't found a separate one. MiAmbiente takes reports on 311, and SENAN answers on 911 and VHF 16 if people are at risk.
¿Cómo reporto un animal marino herido en Panamá?
Llame al 311 del Ministerio de Ambiente o use el chat de miambiente.gob.pa. Si hay personas en peligro, llame al 911 o al SENAN por el canal 16 de VHF.
En español: reportar un animal marino herido o varado
Para reportar una tortuga, un delfín o una ballena herida, enmallada o varada, llame a la línea gratuita 311 del Ministerio de Ambiente o use el chat en miambiente.gob.pa. Si hay personas en peligro, llame primero al 911 o al SENAN por el canal 16 de VHF. Indique la posición, la especie, el estado del animal y la hora, y tome fotos desde una distancia segura. No intente liberar una ballena enmallada ni devolver al mar a un delfín varado. La pesca ilegal se reporta a la ARAP.
The next question to answer
Rules and courtesy around Panama's marine wildlife. Read Turtles, dolphins and rays.
SENAN, SINAPROC, AMP and 911 when people are at risk. Read Boating emergencies: who to call.
AMP and MiAmbiente reporting for spills. Read Reporting an oil or fuel spill.
Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare Reporting Injured or Distressed Marine Wildlife.
Official resources
Use the relevant Panamanian authority for current requirements and fees. These resources are the next place to check; a practical recommendation is not an agency determination.
- MiAmbiente: citizen reporting for marine ecosystems (311 free line, webchat, social media) ↗
- MiAmbiente: cetacean-watching resolution consultation (programme contacts), 2021 ↗
- TVN: MiAmbiente online payments; problems reported on 311, Aug 2024 (secondary, press) ↗
- Panama sea turtle law, Gaceta Oficial 29730-A, 1 March 2023 (Ecojurisprudence copy) ↗