Why do whales strand? A multinational National Geographic report

National Geographic has published an easy-to-read, comprehensive article on the reasons marine mammals beach themselves. The phenomenon impacts several thousand dolphins and whales around the world every year. Though topography and natural causes are very important factors, humans are also largely to blame – fishing, ship strikes and pollution are just some of the destructive activities we have on the marine population.

Sadly, the chance of a beached whale surviving is quite low. The best one can do when coming across a beached animal is to keep it upright, cool and out of the sun while calling a specialized rescue team immediately.

Finally, the article points out that “paradoxically, it may be bad news for the individual, but it’s actually better news for the population.” Strandings can be an enormous source of information for scientists to understand the species better and improve conservation measures.

Many whales wash ashore already dead. Though tragic, their body reveals very important information about their population and possible threats. Picture by Bob Deaville

The article can be found in multiple languages:

English: Why do whales beach themselves? We’re partially to blame. (nationalgeographic.com)

Dutch: Waarom stranden walvissen? Dat is deels te wijten aan ons | National Geographic

German: Warum stranden Wale? | National Geographic

French: Pourquoi les cétacés s'échouent-ils sur les plages ? | National Geographic