Tragic mass stranding of 77 pilot whales on Orkney Islands beach
7:48 AM EDT, July 12, 2024
Some sights break the heart into millions of pieces. This one undoubtedly belongs to them. As many as 77 pilot whales were found on the beach of the Orkney Islands. Unfortunately, none of the animals could be saved. This is the most significant such tragedy in decades.
As many as 77 pilot whales were found stranded on Tresness Beach in the Orkney Islands. Rescuers, including veterinarians from BDMLR and the Scottish SPCA, arrived at the scene to assess the situation and make decisions about potentially saving the animals. Twelve of them were still alive when they were found.
Unfortunately, the high tide and the beach's soft sand made it impossible to successfully position the whales upright, which is crucial for their survival. The rescuers tried to keep the mammals alive by dousing them with seawater, but ultimately, the decision was made to euthanize them.
Among the stranded pilot whales were males measuring up to 23 feet in length and females, young, and calves. The cause of the horrific event is not yet known. Specialists, however, suspect that one of the pilot whales likely had problems, and the rest of the pod tried to help it, leading to the mass stranding.
A representative of the Orkney Islands Council stated that discussions are ongoing with community representatives about the best ways to remove the deceased pilot whales. Due to the scale of the event and the potential threat to public health, possible options include burying them on site or moving the bodies to a large grave elsewhere.
Emma Neave-Webb from BDMLR described the situation as "really quite horrible" and "hugely emotional." She also stressed that while these situations are complex, one must approach them realistically.
"It used to be quite unusual to have a mass stranding event"
Andrew Brownlow from the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme stated that mass strandings are becoming more frequent in Scotland.
It used to be quite unusual to have a mass stranding event. But over the last ten years or so we have seen an increase both in the number of mass stranding events around Scotland and also the size of the mass and the number of animals that it involves - he said in an interview with the BBC.
Brownlow added that this may be due to more animals in the sea or an increase in the threats they face.
