Mass ejection of whales on land. Why did the whales flew ashore?

The dead whale on the shore is a sad sight, making you try to understand the cause of the death of such a massive and beautiful animal. And if this is not one whale, but two, five, tens?

Why do whales throw ashore?

Mass ejection of whales ashore is one of the tragic and intriguing mysteries of nature, over which to this day many scientists are racking their brains. A sad spectacle of dead bodies of huge animals in an unusual environment for them causes a feeling of perplexity and pity. What makes the main inhabitants of the ocean expanses end their lives on the sandy shore and die under the scorching sunlight? Why did the whales flew ashore?

For example, in February 2015 on the coast of New Zealand, about 200 dolphins were thrown out. According to scientists, such a mass phenomenon has not been observed for more than 10 years. Despite the maximum efforts of rescuers, only a hundred individuals survived. The rest died under the weight of their own weight and because of the lack of water. Although most group emissions are observed in whales, most of them among deep-sea species.

Sound pollution of the ocean

The boundless water space is filled with a multitude of sounds, most of which are of natural origin. Increasingly, the measured life of the ocean disturbs man-made noise (from submarine engines, mining, military testing and fishing). As a result, under the influence of sonar, dolphins and whales lose hearing by almost 40%.

What does hearing loss mean (a subtle instrument that can discriminate between the slightest fluctuations in water) for an animal whose life depends on the ability to hear? Submarine sound traps disorient animals in the water, knocking them off the usual path, so whales and dolphins, lost in space, swim out into shallow water.

Too rapid ascent to the surface contributes to the occurrence of a caisson sickness inherent in divers, due to the sudden drop in pressure, nitrogen bubbles accumulate in the blood and damage the internal organs and vessels. This assumption is confirmed by scientists who found signs of such a disease when autopsied dead animals. To the bubbles of nitrogen contained in the blood of whales, according to the scientists' assumptions, loud noises from submarine and explosion engines can directly influence. Under the influence of sound waves, bubbles, rapidly increasing and contracting, can clog blood vessels, damage tissues, injure the nervous system.

The reason for the mass death of whales is military exercises?

Strong explosions, in addition to clogging the vessels, can cause the rupture of animal organs. This phenomenon (ruptures of the lungs and internal organs bleeding) scientists observed during the survey of whales and dolphins that were thrown ashore during or after military exercises. For example, in 1989, during the naval exercises near the Canary Islands, 24 whales flew ashore. Why did the whales flew ashore? Most likely, the reason was unbearable underwater noise, which literally stunned the water inhabitants. The damage to submarines caused to marine life is studied most thoroughly by Americans, since it is in this country that the military complex is subjected to the strongest pressure of the public.

Throwing of whales on the shore occurred before the manifestation of the technogenic evolution of mankind and the emergence of submarines. What in those days could determine this peculiarity of the inhabitants of the oceans? In 1950, 64 whales flew to the shore of Stronsay Island, after 66 years later 66 dolphins were killed there. What makes animals choose this way of death? Why did the whales flew ashore?

Magnetic field failure?

According to the theory of Margaret Klinovski, every year whales migrate to warm waters for mating and birth of young, after which the marine animals return back. The routes of travel are largely dependent on magnetic fields, which are some kind of landmarks. In places where there is the greatest fluctuation of these fields, whales may lose their orientation and swim in shallow water. It is noticed that mass suicides of whales mainly occur immediately after flares on the Sun, which distort magnetic lines.

According to one version, whales are thrown ashore due to changes in climatic conditions. Ocean currents bring cold water from the Antarctic, which forces the whales to sail to shallow water in order to keep warm. In Australia, more than 80 whales were ejected, literally covering their bodies with a five-kilometer coastal zone. Only 25 individuals were able to survive. Why did the whales flew ashore? What caused mass suicide? Perhaps, loss of orientation, which weather conditions can break? In stormy weather, with a gusty strong wind, a storm tide or so-called water surge may occur. An animal, swim too close to land, can stay there and not orient in time, when the water falls.

Self-regulation of abundance is yet another assumption of mass ejection of whales ashore. The version takes place on the existence, although the number of whales in nature is not so great that it was required to reduce it.

The reason for the death of whales is the pollution of the oceans?

As a reason for the massive release of whales onshore, one can consider the pollution of the World Ocean, which gradually turns into a dump of catastrophic proportions. A special accumulation of garbage, the fifth part of which is industrial emissions and oil waste, falls on the coast of the Hawaiian Islands. In size, this garbage spot located in the Pacific Ocean is commensurate with the continental United States. Naturally, such a huge dump, the mass of which exceeds 100 million tons, negatively affects the cetaceans. Although these animals are not fish and, unlike them, breathe air rather than dissolved oxygen in a polluted aquatic environment, the damage from such dumps can be caused by injuries and oil spills.

Perhaps a socio-psychological factor?

A psychological hypothesis is also put forward as one of the reasons for the massive release of whales ashore. Whales and dolphins are social animals, subject to the influence of the leader. If the latter loses orientation in space and leads the flock to shallow water, the animals, despite the mortal danger, still continue to follow him.

There is an existence of an infectious theory of suicides of cetaceans, which is now given special attention to scientists around the world. Some viruses that infect mammals have a negative impact on the animal's hearing system, causing diseases such as meningitis and encephalitis, provoking a failure of the echolocation system. Having lost the orientation in space, the whale (the photo can be seen in the article) begins to suffocate, so it is thrown ashore in order to facilitate breathing. Returning to the native element will only exacerbate the current situation. It used to be that cetaceans do not succumb to damaging viruses. In fact, their carriers can be sea seals - the food of killer whales.

Accidentally hitting the shore, the animal can give distress signals to its brethren, who immediately rush to the rescue of the poor man and fall into the same trap, also calling for help.