Whale Beachings

In one of the largest cases of whale standings occured in Chile when 337 whales washed up on shore.  It is believed that the whales are sei whales, but it is difficult to tell due to the rate of decomposition.  The whales were discovered when a group of scientists flew over the isolated Aysen region lovcated in the South of Chile.  Whale beachings are common in Aysen, however it is unusual for sei to gather together in such large groups.  Scientists found 305 whale bodies and 32 skeletons through aerial and satellite photography.  Biologists were unable to examine to bodies in person because of the location of the Aysen region.  Aysen is incredibly is isolated, the steep shoreline and rough seas make it difficult for boats to land on the cost.  Biologists hope to examine the whales in person during the summer.  Scientists are unsure of exactly how the whales died, they believe that the whales died at sea, not by beaching.  Additionally, they are confident that the deaths were not related the humans.

The beaching is especially troubling because sei whales are endangered, with an estimated population of 80,000 worldwide.  Sei whales feed on krill and are considered to be the fastest specious of whale.  They are large, blue-gray and baleen whales.  Some suspect that the whale was killed by a red tide (an algal bloom).

While sadly the whales found off of Chile’s coast are dead, biologists have methods to save beached whales when they survive washing to shore.  If the animals are only in shallow water rescuers  will play the sound of the whales’ own kind to try and lure them into the water or they will play the sound of predators to try and frighten them.  Biologists will also try and herd the whales back out to see by using their boats.  If the whales are beached it is much more difficult to save them.  Rescuers will try and move the whales into the water, in some cases resorting to equipment like slings and cranes to try and drag the whales back out to sea.  While it might be too late for the sei whales on Aysen’s coast, hopefully scientists can find out what caused so many whales to become beached.

http://time.com/4132190/chile-beached-whales/

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/11/151120-worlds-largest-whale-stranding-sei-chile-animals/

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/redtide.html

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/12/131205-rescue-stranded-whales-everglades-marine-mammals-science/

4 thoughts on “Whale Beachings

  1. jrk5481

    Your post was truly eye opening. I did not realize how frequently whale beachings occurred and how serious the world’s pollution problem has become.

    On another note, I read an article a while back about the beaching of another water mammal. In this case the article addressed dolphins that have swam up to shore. While the normal response would be assisting the dolphin in getting back to the water, The British Diver’s Marine Life Rescue Group pleads not to. They claim that when dolphins beach themselves, it is for good reason. Dolphins are known to beach themselves if they are sick or injured, and do so to protect themselves from predators. The sickly animals are less capable of swimming away from attacks and thus beach themselves for protection.

    http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/dont-push-stranded-dolphins-sea-2089357

  2. Nicolas Lau

    Your blog definitely got my attention. I did not know of this occurring until I stumbled upon your post. From your post you claim that the whales were most likely killed at sea. Would you suspect that it was a human related death? Our garbage? Global warming? It is truly a sad to know our marine life is dying that quickly. 337 is a unfathomable number. A phrase that stuck out from your post is “Biologists hope to examine the whales in person during the summer.” From the looks of it, the whales would probably be gone by then to people who take the meat and then to decomposition. Here is an article, in which explains what people do with beached whales in England. Though this is quite off track, I always wondered what the planet would be like if humans were not around. Our society and expansion is truly hurting our planet. Not just in this instance, but in our carbon footprint. Sooner or later, our actions will be regreted.

  3. Desiree Nicole Enriquez

    I appreciate the time you went to to collect many reliable sources when crafting this blog. I agree, whales are one of the many living things at loss when it comes to how we run the world. Its a shame its taken this long for people to realize the harm were doing but some people still deny it.

  4. Kristen

    Wow this blog definitely made me realize how awful we treat marine life and how little the public is informed about marine life- I would’ve never known about all of these beached whales in Chile which is such a tragedy without this blog! The reasoning behind so many beached whales along the Chilean coast has me wondering what are the potential reasons towards this. Personally this has led me to think that the reasoning behind why whales are becoming beached is because of pollution. The increase in man made materials and chemicals which are constantly affecting beaches and the ocean in my opinion cannot have anything not to do with beached whales. This concept is supported by a website called “Whale Facts” which states that: “causing greater pollution in the ocean which can lead to marine mammals being born deformed, mentally impairing otherwise healthy whales and poisoning or causing death to marine mammals as a result of poisonous chemicals.” http://www.whalefacts.org/why-do-whales-beach-themselves/ Additionally, this website proceeds to state that another reasoning towards beached whales could potentially be “man-made sonar may be interfering with a whales echolocation and/or natural brain wave activity causing whales to become disoriented or sick forcing them to flee towards shallow waters where they end up beaching themselves.” All of these are interesting ideas and have led me to severely question the impact human touch has brought to marine life, especially since more whales than ever are becoming beached.

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