National Marine Week shines a spotlight on the incredible diversity of marine life found around the UK’s shores—and the vital work being done to protect it. Running from late July into early August, this awareness week is a chance to celebrate our oceans and the many species that call them home, from curious grey seal pups to majestic whales and dolphins. But it's also a time to reflect on the challenges marine animals face—pollution, entanglement, disease, and rising numbers of strandings—and the essential role that veterinary professionals and rescue organisations play in their survival.

We're featuring our exclusive 4-part webinar course on marine mammal medicine, led by Dr Natalie Arrow of British Divers Marine Life Rescue —essential viewing for veterinary professionals and wildlife rescue teams.

Whether you’re involved in wildlife rescue, work in general practice near the coast, or simply want to expand your knowledge of aquatic patients, this CPD series is designed to give you the confidence and clinical insight to help when it matters most.

From seal pup triage to decision-making at cetacean strandings, each session offers practical, vet-led training you can apply in real-world scenarios—and the full course is available to purchase now or unlock instantly with an Unlimited membership.

Here's what each webinar covers:

1. Conducting a Seal Pup Health Assessment

This foundational session guides you through initial seal pup assessments on-beach or in veterinary practice. 🌟 Learn how to:

Identify species (grey vs common seal), estimate age, evaluate body condition, hydration, temperature, respiratory rate, behaviour, and demeanour.

Carry out safe restraint using a towel-and-straddle technique, essential PPE use, and zoonosis risk management.

Interpret clinical signs like posture (e.g. “aeroplane” position), mucous discharge, injuries, and ulcerations—key for decision-making.

2. Introduction to the Veterinary Treatment of Seal Pups

In this webinar, you’ll explore management decisions depending on pup condition:

Misses immediate release: deciding between release, overnight monitoring, rehabilitation, or euthanasia based on weight, hydration, illness, injury .

Common clinical issues—malnutrition, dehydration, respiratory and gut infections, entanglement wounds, ocular damage—and their treatment strategies.

Practical guidance on rehydration (oral feeds via gastric tube before initiating fish-based diets), wound management using honey or simple dressings, and common drug protocols, including antibiotics (amoxiclav, enrofloxacin), NSAIDs, mucolytics, and more.

3. Cetacean Strandings and the Role of the Veterinary Team

This session addresses vet involvement in cetacean strandings, a higher‑complexity scenario:

You'll learn to assess stranded dolphins or whales alongside BDMLR volunteers, determining rehabilitation, euthanasia, or refloating strategies.

Covers coordination with rescue networks, triage priorities, and ethical considerations for marine mammal welfare.

4. Introduction to Stranded Cetacean Health Assessment & Decision-Making

This webinar elaborates on the diagnostic and analytical skills needed when responding to live strandings:

Structured approaches to health assessment—examining hydration, injuries, respiratory compromise, trauma, and overall prognosis.

Frameworks for making difficult decisions in the field, with long-term species welfare in mind.

Why This Course Matters ⚓

Practical, real-world scenarios: Each webinar draws on live rescues and BDMLR response data—over 2,000 callouts annually in the UK alone, mostly involving seals and cetaceans.

Veterinary-led content: Sessions led by experts like Natalie Arrow, who has managed hundreds of seal pup cases, and veterinary consultants deeply involved with field rescues and care coordination.

Highly actionable: From safe handling to medical decision-making and client communication, the content gives you skills you can immediately apply.

Join Us this National Marine Week 🐳

Whether you're refreshing your marine medicine skills or diving in for the first time, this course equips you to act confidently when marine mammals need help.

Unlock access now—and help make a difference in strandings and seal pup rescues.

Unlimited Members: This entire 4-part webinar course is included with your membership—start watching now!

Non-members: You can purchase the full course individually via our platform.