Sperm Whales Beaching.

The reason why Sperm whales and other whales and dolphins end up getting stranded and then beaching themselves is a subject open for debate.

A few years ago when a sperm whale got stranded in the Thames and swam as far up as Battersea many theories were put forward as to why she ended up there. Despite many attempts to get her back to sea she sadly died.

Whales use echo location to find their way around in the water and it was thought that perhaps a man made noise say from a nuclear sub could have confused the whale and caused her to swim into the Thames.

However a post mortem was carried out on the whale and no evidence could be found that man made noises had affected her auditory senses thus causing her to be confused and head up the Thames.

Not long ago a number of Sperm Whales have beached themselves in Skegness, England and also in the Netherlands and Germany were they part of the same Pod?

Whales and other cetaceans could get beached if they get a disease similar to pneumonia which affects their ability to breathe and dive. Diving is an essential part for Sperm Whales as they hunt squid which can only be found in the deepest depths. So it is possible if they have died at sea their bodies get washed up on the beach.

When such things happen like this the public has been advised not to approach the animals as if they are still alive they could get scared which may hinder any efforts to get them seaborne again.

In Britain alone each year apparently 600 whales end up being washed ashore for one reason or another. Another idea put forward about why whales beach themselves is that they could get injured by boat propellers or get entangled in fishing nets.

There is no arguing though that whales and other cetaceans face many hazards thanks to humans as we disrupt their lifestyle it seems with our activities in the seas and oceans and it would seem the oceans and seas of the world as human traffic whether it be subs or fishing boats is a clear and ongoing hazard to these air breathing mammals who have ploughed the waters of this planet for a very long time.

Is there any way we can make things better for these giants of the sea I am sure someone somewhere whether it be the whales coming down with pneumonia or getting entangled in fishing nets, being injured by the propellers of boats or indeed the sounds made by human sonar has some idea of what can be done.

Meanwhile let us hope these magnificent creatures are given the protection they deserve by man and are around for as long as we are and hopefully longer.