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

==== 5. Why they cleared volunteers away ====

This part especially hurts, because the volunteers cared so much.

But there are a few reasons they might push people back:
* Safety: A thrashing fluke or a big wave can seriously injure or kill a person. Professionals are trained for that risk; volunteers generally aren’t.KMTR<ref>{{cite web|title=KMTR|url=https://nbc16.com/news/local/humpback-whale-stranded-on-oregon-coast-near-waldport|publisher=nbc16.com|access-date=2025-11-17}}</ref>
* Stress for the whale: A big crowd, lights, noise, and constant touching can actually increase distress.
* Federal law: The Marine Mammal Protection Act treats touching or interfering with a marine mammal as “harassment,” and agencies are legally required to stop that once they’re on scene.ODFW<ref>{{cite web|title=ODFW|url=https://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/mammals/stranding.asp|publisher=dfw.state.or.us|access-date=2025-11-17}}</ref>
* Privacy for euthanasia: When they euthanize, they often put up screens or clear people away so the animal can die without a crowd watching and filming.Lincoln Chronicle<ref>{{cite web|title=Lincoln Chronicle|url=https://lincolnchronicle.org/humpback-whale-euthanized-after-30-hours-on-waldport-beach-was-healthy-before-stranding-necropsy-shows/|publisher=Lincoln Chronicle|access-date=2025-11-17}}</ref>

None of that changes the fact that the volunteers were acting from a place of genuine love; it just means that once the experts arrive, the rules shift.