Beached whales: how the stranding happens

Originally published on December 5, 2013

Rescuers in Everglades National Park in southwest Florida are trying to save dozens of whales swimming in dangerously shallow waters, after ten already stranded and died on Wednesday.

A whale may strand itself due to illness or injury which affecting its navigation system.

Once in shallow waters, the whale can easily get trapped by the changing tide.

Since whales live in tightly cohesive groups, one sick animal's calls of distress can cause an entire pod to respond and strand itself too.

Underwater seismic activity can also cause whale stranding.

Scientists however have now proven a link between stranding and the use of navy sonar, which is believed not only to disrupt the whales' navigation system but also to cause a physical trauma on the animal which can include brain, ears and internal tissues bleeding.

According to the Huffington Post, an independent scientific review panel of scientists, conservation organizations and government agencies released a report in September in which it concluded that "the mass stranding of approximately 100 melon-headed whales in the Loza Lagoon system in northwest Madagascar in 2008 was primarily triggered by acoustic stimuli, more specifically, a multi-beam echosounder system operated by a survey vessel contracted by ExxonMobil Exploration and Production (Northern Madagascar) Limited."

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also acknowledged a correlation with sonar in a similar mass stranding of melon-headed whales occurred in Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii in 2004., the Huffington Post reported.

At the time of the stranding, the Navy was conducting exercises involving loud sonar in the area.

The report comes at a time when there is considerable pressure from the oil industry to open up more areas for offshore seismic exploration which could be devastating for whales and dolphins.

According to Marine mammal biologist Candace Calloway Whiting, in areas where the searc