Riddle of the whales who disappeared in the night: Pod of 60 vanish after two died

By DAVID DERBYSHIRE

Beached: Marine experts bring ashore a female pilot whale washed up dead in shallow waters off Loch Carnan. The pod has disappeared but another dead whale has been found on an islet


Pod had been at risk of beaching themselves on Scottish coast

Creatures swim off after body of female pilot whale is washed up

Second dead whale is found on nearby islet


The pod of 60 pilot whales at risk of beaching themselves on the Scottish coast vanished yesterday after two died.

The creatures swam off after the body of a female, killed by an infection, washed up in Loch Carnan in South Uist.

A second dead whale was spotted on a nearby islet but could not be reached last night due to bad weather.


Strong social ties: Marine biologists say the group may have been accompanying the sick whale to her death


Members of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue were on stand-by in case the pod returned. But storms and winds of up to 70mph scuppered their plans to search by helicopter.

A post-mortem examination on the female found 'potential evidence of an infection' in a fatty region of its forehead.

The examination showed that grisly scrapes and cuts on the whale's body were not enough to cause its death.

Alisdair Jack of the BDMLR said last night: 'It is very disappointing to have found the second stranded whale.

'It was spotted through binoculars at around 4pm. Our fear has been that the first dead whale would not be the last.'


Cause of death: Marine experts perform a post mortem examination on the pilot whale. She is thought to have died from an infection in a fatty region on her forehead



Final journey: Marine experts load the dead pilot whale onto a truck for disposal


The pod was first seen in the loch on Thursday. Around 20 of the whales were suffering from head wounds that may have been caused by boats or by rocks close to the shore.

At the end of October last year, 33 pilot whales came close to being stranded in the same sea loch.

Less than a week later, they were found dead on a beach in Co Donegal.
Pilot whales prefer deep water but come inshore to feed on squid, their main food.


Cause for concern: The pod of 60 whales was first seen off the coast of South Uist on Thursday


Dicing with death: Some of the whales in the pod had head injuries, thought to have been caused by boats or rocks


Head injuries: It had been feared that if the sick whales in the group tried to beach themselves, the others were likely to follow


Calum Watt, senior inspector for the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said the whales’ strong social bonds meant healthy animals within a pod would follow sick and injured ones on to shore.

He said, before the second dead whale was found: 'This could be the first of many other whales coming in - we hope it's not. It would be great if this is the only one to come in.'


Rescue mission: Volunteers from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue travelled overnight in an attempt to reach the whales




source: dailymail