Each year, thousands of whales, dolphins and porpoises become stranded on shorelines around the world. Left unaided, many die within a day or two. In the Philippines, about a dozen stranding events occur a year. WWF offers stranding rescue workshops to local residents. Training includes cetacean (whales, dolphins and porpoises) biology, identification, threats, and conservation and rescue techniques. Since 1997, WWF has been collaborating with leading Filipino marine mammal scientists to conduct training programs. Such training not only helps ensure the safety of stranded whales and dolphins, it also increases people’s appreciation for the animals and cultivates environmental stewardship.