Cape Cod and New Zealand are the two main places in the world for mass strandings of marine mammals. What do they have in common? The hook-shaped land form; Wellfleet, a special hot spot, is a hook within the hook. Other contributing factors here: long stretches of shallow water, and the fine-sediment bottom, that may interfere with echolocation. General causes are disease, injuries, social cohesion, even local magnetic abnormalities. CCSN evolved from an informal network of environmental charities responding to mass stranding events, to incorporation in 1998 because more was needed: full-time dedicated, expert staff, better equipment, quicker response, standardized protocols, trained volunteers—in short, a system. Today they cover nearly 700 miles of shoreline from the Cape to Rhode Island, and have responded to 220 strandings annually, raising the recovery rate from 21% to 67% in eight years. CCSN has developed the first mass-stranding prevention program, using “pingers” (acoustic devices) and boats to herd animals to safer areas, and a continual health-assessment and research program to better understand the phenomenon. In 2003 they received the Award for Excellence of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). You, too, can be a whale's life-saver.