Strandings
Each year, thousands of whales, dolphins and porpoises strands every year, either dead or alive on beaches worldwide.
The strandings can either be a single animal or an entire pod. Some of the animals are old and sick but many of the young animals are healthy and strong. Strandings are natural, but it has been impossible to find a good explanation of why it happens.
Possible causes
Some of the strandings are easy to explain. The animals die in the sea and the currents lead them to the beach. But when live animals strands it is much harder to locate the reason. One of the many theories is that the strandings occurs where the earths magnetic lines cross the coast line, because the animals loses the orientation. (See fig. 1)
Whales are supposed to have an extra sense, the so called bio magnetism, which makes them able to sense variations in the earths magnet fields. At some points these magnet lines crosses the coast and this is where there is a higher probability for strandings.
Earthquakes or a powerful storm can lead to panic among the dolphins, parasites in the ears can lead to distortions when they uses their echolocation, or it just happens because the animal has entered a new and unknown area. Sick animals swims to the beach to rest. Mass strandings can be caused by an entire pod being disoriented, but also if the leading animal is sick or disoriented.
Especially Pilot Whales are threatened by strandings since there are such a strong social band between the single specimens that they will come to each others aid, and strand themselves.
Informations from stranded animals
For many years was stranded animals, or animals killed by whalers, the only information source to study the whales biology. Even today several specimens exists that has never been observed alive, and furthermore it can be difficult to distinguish the specimens from another in the nature. The examination from a dead animal can be necessary for a positive specie recognition. Even very rotten animals can mostly show what specie it was.
Coming soon: What to do if you find a stranded animal
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