There have been a lot of beachings lately involving sharks and whales – in India, over 80 whales were found beached and rescuers worked for hours to return them to sea to try and save them, and in the case of the shark, it turned out to be a rare white great white shark that lacked skin pigmentation.
Now, at least 3 sperm whales have been beached on a beach in England. Massive at about 48 feet long, and heavy at well over 32,000 pounds, these creatures were discovered by beach-goers during the weekend.
The reasoning behind the beaching is thought to be related to the animals trying to hunt for food and getting lost in shallow waters. Sperm whales, as large as they are, are typically deep sea animals and travel in large pods together.
The three sperm whales are believed to be related to a similar beaching that occurred just a few miles away.
"We had heard about the whale that came ashore in Norfolk, so we had an early insight that there may be potential for some to arrive on our coast as well,” said James Gilbert, from East Lindsey District Council. "All three are massive, beautiful animals, and it's just such a shame to see them on the beach in that way."
Barricades were placed around the carcasses of the animals so people would stay away from them for everyone’s safety. This was probably a good thing because one of the whale carcasses has reportedly “exploded” due to bodily gasses inside of the sperm whale having built up enough pressure to escape the carcass.
It’s unknown where the rest of the whale pod may be, but if they’re close and looking for their missing pod members, they may also be at risk of being stranded. The search for the pod continues as local crews are on high alert.
Source: BBC
