Orkney, July 13, 2024, The Europe Today: In a tragic event, seventy-seven long-finned pilot whales washed ashore on Thursday on Sanday Island, part of the Orkney archipelago. The British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) service reported that sixty-five of the whales were already dead upon discovery, and the remaining twelve were in such poor condition that they had to be euthanized.
“Sadly, the remaining 12 pilot whales have been euthanized due to their condition deteriorating from the many hours they have spent stranded on the beach,” the BDMLR said in an update. Prolonged exposure on the beach likely caused crush injuries from their own weight and increased the likelihood of inhaling water with the incoming tide.
Difficult Recovery Efforts
The BDMLR noted that the whales had sunk deeper into the sand as the tide washed over them, preventing them from refloating. Despite extensive efforts, rescuers were unable to save the surviving whales.
No Clear Cause for Stranding
The Orkney Islands, situated just off the northeastern tip of mainland Scotland, are frequently subject to such strandings. Sanday Island is located to the northeast of the archipelago, closer to open waters. The BDMLR stated, “There are no obvious indications as to why they all stranded,” adding that they would attempt to recover and conduct postmortem examinations on as many of the whales as possible to seek answers.
Mass strandings among pilot whales, who travel in tightly-knit groups, are not uncommon, but the exact reasons behind these occurrences remain unclear to scientists. “This is definitely one of the larger mass strandings, but not necessarily the largest,” the BDMLR told AFP.
Previous Incidents
This incident follows a similar event in 2023 when about fifty-five pilot whales were stranded on the island of Lewis, off Scotland’s northwest coast. Efforts to understand and prevent these occurrences continue as marine life experts work to protect these social and intelligent creatures.
