Keep reading for more information on why whales beach themselves. Whale beaching is a colloquial term for what is scientifically known as cetacean stranding. It is a phenomenon in which both whales and dolphins strand themselves on land. Considering the land closest to most waterways is typically a beach, the stranding usually happens on a beach. Beaching is a suicide of sorts, especially when it happens in mass quantities.
Sometimes entire whale pods strand themselves on land, gasping for air and laying there to die for hours. If beached whales are discovered, humans can attempt to return some of the whales to the ocean and prolong their lives by drenching them with water until an attempt to return them can be made. Sadly, most beached whales and dolphins end up dying. This can be due to dehydration or the result of their internal organs being crushed while on land.
When high tide comes in, the whale could actually drown once water covers their blowhole. Whale beaching is not a new phenomenon. Records of cetacean stranding go back as far as a century ago, but we also know that they happened long before then, as well. Sometimes, a lone whale will beach by accident; maybe he has swum into water that is too shallow and can no longer swim.
If a whale becomes sick, she might also become too tired to swim. Again, she will eventually wash ashore from exhaustion and an inability to swim. But mass strandings are also a somewhat common behavior in whale and dolphin populations and those are even more puzzling. Scientists and researchers have proposed that changes in water temperature could be a cause of beachings, which means that whale beaching could be directly correlated to climate change and global warming.
In fact, the easiest reasons to accept why whales beach themselves are accidents: inclement weather, difficulty giving birth, hunting in too-shallow waters, and mistakes made in navigating.
Bigger whales may also strand because they are closely following larger dolphins or porpoises into shallow waters; while the dolphins may be able to escape the coastal waters, larger whales may become trapped and therefore, beach. Most whales are also extremely family oriented. One hypothesis behind the cause of mass strandings is this strong family bond. If you encounter a beached whale, do not attempt to move it.
Instead, marine charities, the coast guard, or emergency services can help while you await trained volunteers and veterinarians. Keep the animal upright, wet avoid getting water in its blowhole, and cover it to prevent sunburn. Still, survival rates are low. Rescue teams will only try to refloat an animal if it is healthy enough to survive. The only other options are taking the animal into captivity—in countries that allow it—or euthanasia.
While harrowing, Jarvis argues this is the best welfare decision rather than subjecting a wild animal to captivity. Strandings do help scientists better understand these animals, particularly difficult-to-study species such as beaked whales.
Deaville also points out that strandings can even be a good sign for the species because it can indicate healthier population numbers: Put simply, with more animals out there, more of them are likely to strand from natural causes even if other threats are minimized.
All rights reserved. Topography Coastal topography and tidal ranges make some regions traps for marine mammals. Share Tweet Email. Read This Next Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London.
Animals Wild Cities Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London Love them or hate them, there's no denying their growing numbers have added an explosion of color to the city's streets. India bets its energy future on solar—in ways both small and big.
Environment Planet Possible India bets its energy future on solar—in ways both small and big Grassroots efforts are bringing solar panels to rural villages without electricity, while massive solar arrays are being built across the country. Epic floods leave South Sudanese to face disease and starvation. Travel 5 pandemic tech innovations that will change travel forever These digital innovations will make your next trip safer and more efficient.
But will they invade your privacy? Go Further. Animals Wild Cities This wild African cat has adapted to life in a big city. Animals This frog mysteriously re-evolved a full set of teeth. Animals Wild Cities Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London.
Animals Wild Cities Morocco has 3 million stray dogs. Meet the people trying to help. Separated dependant calves and old adults may also be malnourished. Sadly many stranded whales have been found with large volumes of litter or plastic in their gut. Ingestion of these materials can lead to disease and malnutrition Calving whales will often seek out sheltered bays to give birth to their young.
If they come too close to shore they may strand. In particular, whales which are having problems birthing are more likely to strand Injured Whales that escape net entanglements or are hit by vessels may sustain serious injuries, such as broken teeth and jaws, deep lacerations, flipper dislocations or fractures, spinal or muscle damage or severed fins or flukes. This may result in them stranding Underwater explosions caused by sonar, seismic testing or underwater sea quakes can have a devastating impact on whales.
These loud explosions can damage their hearing and affect their ability to communicate, hunt and navigate Navigational errors When chasing prey, whales may accidentally beach themselves. They can be picked up by a wave and thrown onto a beach or be left high and dry by the receding tide They may also come too close to shore to avoid predators, such as orca Gently shelving, sandy beaches may not reflect echolocation signals back to the whale, leading them to believe they are in deeper water.
Combined with a fast dropping tide whales can be left high and dry Some whales may use geomagnetic contours to navigate and where these cross the beach or an outcrop of land, this can result in a whale following the line of the contour on to the shore Unfamiliar coastal configuration or unusual weather patterns, particularly electrical storms, may also cause whales to strand through navigational error.
The strong social bonding of some species of whales can cause mass strandings. Whales that strand in groups are usually deep water species with highly evolved social structures.
In New Zealand, the most common species to mass strand are long-finned pilot whales. Whatever the reason for the initial stranding, the strong social bonds of these animals can draw the rest of the pod in.
0コメント