Mass Whale Stranding on New Zealand Beach


Image Credit, Flickr User Sandy Crush, via CC

A mystery that has left scientists baffled for years – a phenomenon where whales or dolphins swim to shallow waters and then getting stranded on the beach.

Why do they do that? Scientists guess that there might be two reasons either the whales get sick and swim to shallow waters for safety or they lose their way. There are many theories but no conclusive answer.

What happens to them? They eventually die due to dehydration unless rescuers find them in time and redirect them to deep waters. This peculiar behaviour displayed by the whales and dolphins is stranding or beaching.

New Zealand, an island country in southwestern Pacific Ocean, has maximum cases of whale stranding in the world.

A total of 58 pilot whales, belonging to two different pods, have died from stranding at Ohiwa Harbour in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. Amongst them, rescuers had tried to save 22 whales by directing them to deep waters but for reasons unknown they returned to the shore and got re-stranded.

It is heartbreaking to see these magnificent creatures of the sea coming to such a tragic end.

Maybe one of you reading this, might grow up to be a scientist who can read their minds and find a way stop them from losing their way.

Until then, let us pray for their safety.

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