Know the different theories explaining why whales become beached onshore
Know the different theories explaining why whales become beached onshore
Learn why whales—such as pilot whales at Fairwell Spit, New Zealand—sometimes get stranded or beached onshore.
© Behind the News (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
Transcript
AMELIA MOSELEY: They're the magnificent mammals of the deep that fascinate a lot of us mammals back on land. But if you ever see a whale this close to shore, it's a sure sign of trouble. Recently, hundreds and hundreds of pilot whales were beached in a bay called Farewell Spit at the top of the South Island of New Zealand.
Lots of people came out to help them over several days. They used wet sheets to protect the sea creatures from the sun, and buckets of water to keep them cool. Luckily, when high tide came in about 100 were able to swim back out to sea, but then a different pod came in.
VOLUNTEER 1: What We can see right now is we can see this pod of whales. These are fresh whales, and they're coming in right now.
MOSELEY: Volunteers tried to make a human chain, but even that didn't stop them. Another 250 pilot whales washed up.
VOLUNTEER 2: I was here first thing this morning, and there was a small group of us. And essentially, we went out and saw one of the biggest strandings I've ever seen.
MOSELEY: Whales are known for their amazing sense of direction-- sometimes migrating thousands of kilometers without actually going off-course. So how do some of these creatures end up beached? Well, marine scientists don't actually know for sure, but they do have some theories.
The first is actually to do with how they navigate. Whales send out sound waves, or sonar pulses, which bounce back off surfaces to help them work out where they are or where they're going. But some ships also use sonar, and if the two cross paths, the whales could get confused and strand themselves.
Another theory is that when whales get sick or injured they just can't swim properly, so they're pushed ashore by the current. Changes in the environment could also cause whales to act differently-- like, if there are low food stocks, unusually high or low temperatures, or polluted water.
And finally, even whales make mistakes. It's thought they can sometimes lose their way by accident, or while chasing prey or escaping predators. Plus, whales often travel in large pods or groups. So marine scientists reckon if one whale loses their way for any reason, then the others traveling with it might copy them.
MARINE SCIENTIST: They become confused where they end up in places like Farewell Spit, which is a very shallow, sandy beach. And if one does get distressed and others follow, it's difficult for them to know which way to go.
MOSELEY: About 350 pilot whales died from the two strandings at Farewell Spit. But the good news is that around 300 did survive. That was thanks to high tides and helpful volunteers-- like these guys, who hope that they've seen the last of their seafaring friends.
VOLUNTEER 3: We hope we never see them again.
VOLUNTEER 4 Oh, yeah.
VOLUNTEER 5: Ah, just joy. Just complete happiness that they're here in the water, they're floating. And they look like they're going out, so we're obviously making sure that they don't come back in. Yeah.
Lots of people came out to help them over several days. They used wet sheets to protect the sea creatures from the sun, and buckets of water to keep them cool. Luckily, when high tide came in about 100 were able to swim back out to sea, but then a different pod came in.
VOLUNTEER 1: What We can see right now is we can see this pod of whales. These are fresh whales, and they're coming in right now.
MOSELEY: Volunteers tried to make a human chain, but even that didn't stop them. Another 250 pilot whales washed up.
VOLUNTEER 2: I was here first thing this morning, and there was a small group of us. And essentially, we went out and saw one of the biggest strandings I've ever seen.
MOSELEY: Whales are known for their amazing sense of direction-- sometimes migrating thousands of kilometers without actually going off-course. So how do some of these creatures end up beached? Well, marine scientists don't actually know for sure, but they do have some theories.
The first is actually to do with how they navigate. Whales send out sound waves, or sonar pulses, which bounce back off surfaces to help them work out where they are or where they're going. But some ships also use sonar, and if the two cross paths, the whales could get confused and strand themselves.
Another theory is that when whales get sick or injured they just can't swim properly, so they're pushed ashore by the current. Changes in the environment could also cause whales to act differently-- like, if there are low food stocks, unusually high or low temperatures, or polluted water.
And finally, even whales make mistakes. It's thought they can sometimes lose their way by accident, or while chasing prey or escaping predators. Plus, whales often travel in large pods or groups. So marine scientists reckon if one whale loses their way for any reason, then the others traveling with it might copy them.
MARINE SCIENTIST: They become confused where they end up in places like Farewell Spit, which is a very shallow, sandy beach. And if one does get distressed and others follow, it's difficult for them to know which way to go.
MOSELEY: About 350 pilot whales died from the two strandings at Farewell Spit. But the good news is that around 300 did survive. That was thanks to high tides and helpful volunteers-- like these guys, who hope that they've seen the last of their seafaring friends.
VOLUNTEER 3: We hope we never see them again.
VOLUNTEER 4 Oh, yeah.
VOLUNTEER 5: Ah, just joy. Just complete happiness that they're here in the water, they're floating. And they look like they're going out, so we're obviously making sure that they don't come back in. Yeah.