mass strandings

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>

Entire Pod of Pilot Whales Decimated in Mass Stranding
77 Whales Die
in Mass Stranding
Jul 12, 2024 2:30 AM CDT

77 Whales Die in Mass Stranding

The entire pod was wiped out in Scotland tragedy

(Newser) - In what may have been the worst mass stranding in Scotland since at least 1995, an entire pod of pilot whales was wiped out after being found stranded on a beach in the Orkney Islands Thursday morning. Of the 77 whales that came ashore, just a dozen initially survived, the...

In Australia Mass Whale Stranding, a Better Than Usual Outcome

More than 100 pilot whales returned to sea, while 29 died on shore

(Newser) - More than 100 long-finned pilot whales that beached on the western Australian coast Thursday have returned to sea, while 29 died on the shore, reports the AP . Ships and a spotter plane were monitoring the rescued whales in case they returned to shore, said wildlife officer Pia Courtis. "So...

97 Pilot Whales Gathered Tightly, Then Beached
In Australia, a Massive
Whale Tragedy Worsens
UPDATED
Jul 27, 2023 9:23 AM CDT

In Australia, a Massive Whale Tragedy Worsens

All 97 whales from beached pod are dead

(Newser) - Peter Hartley, a manager at Western Australia's Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions says it was one of the hardest decisions he has made in his 34-year career. The department says 45 long-finned pilot whales, survivors of a pod of 97 that beached themselves, were euthanized Wednesday to avoid...

At Infamous 'Death Trap for Whales,' a Sad New Find

34 long-finned pilot whales found beached in mass stranding at New Zealand's Farewell Spit

(Newser) - Farewell Spit, a perhaps aptly named 16-mile stretch of sand on the remote northern end of New Zealand's South Island, is making headlines for sad news that's become commonplace there. The island nation's Department of Conservation reported on Friday that 34 long-finned pilot whales have been found...

380 Whales Dead in One of World's Worst Strandings

50 were saved in Tasmania; hope remains for 30 more

(Newser) - There's more bad news from Tasmania, Australia, where 380 whales have now died in one of the largest strandings ever recorded, reports the BBC . Hundreds of long-finned pilot whales have been found stranded on sand bars in a few areas off the island's west coast since Monday. An...

Rescuers Rush to Save Hundreds of Stranded Whales

90 have already died off southern Australia

(Newser) - At least 90 pilot whales have died in a mass stranding off of Australia, and crews are racing to save another 180 from the same fate. The whales were found Monday at three sites off the west coast of the island state of Tasmania, which also saw the stranding of...

Satellites May Be Powerful Tool for Whale Strandings
Satellites May Be Powerful
Tool for Whale Strandings
NEW STUDY
Oct 18, 2019 12:58 PM CDT

Satellites May Be Powerful Tool for Whale Strandings

Researchers say high-resolution images can 'revolutionize' detection

(Newser) - In 2015, scientists described the largest known mass stranding of whales off the coast of Chile. Surveyors who used boats and planes to explore the remote beaches of Patagonia in the months after the deaths said at least 343 great whales, mostly endangered sei whales, had washed up. It turns...

Dozens of Stranded Whales, a 'Heartbreaking Decision'

More than 140 pilot whales die after being stranded on New Zealand's Stewart Island

(Newser) - A hiker on a New Zealand island stumbled upon a distressing sight this weekend: dozens of pilot whales, dead on the beach after getting stranded there. Per the Guardian , the nation's Department of Conservation fielded a call Saturday from the hiker, who'd been camping on secluded Stewart Island,...

Over 140 Whales Die After Getting Stranded in Australia

'I've never seen anything like it'

(Newser) - At least 140 whales have died after becoming stranded on a beach overnight in Western Australia, the AP reports. Over 150 short-finned pilot whales were first spotted on the beach at Hamelin Bay by a fisherman on Friday morning. By Friday afternoon, all but 15 had died. According to the...

After Whales Refloated, a Devastating Setback

240 whales from new pod now stranded on NZ beach

(Newser) - A new pod of 240 whales swam aground at a remote New Zealand beach on Saturday just hours after weary volunteers managed to refloat a different group of whales following an earlier mass stranding . In total, more than 650 pilot whales have beached themselves along a 3-mile stretch of coastline...

'Utterly Heartbreaking' Scene on Remote Beach

400 whales stranded; New Zealanders scramble to rescue survivors

(Newser) - Volunteers are scrambling to rescue scores of whales after one of the worst strandings in New Zealand's history. About 275 of the pilot whales were already dead when magazine writer Cheree Morrison and two colleagues found them early Friday on Farewell Spit, a remote beach at the tip of...

Dozens of 'False Killer Whales' Die in Florida Stranding
Up to 95 Dolphins
Die in Everglades
Jan 18, 2017 7:33 AM CST

Up to 95 Dolphins Die in Everglades

They became stuck in mangroves and on mudflats

(Newser) - At least 82 dolphins, including juveniles and calves, have died in a mysterious incident in a remote section of Florida's Everglades National Park. Officials say 95 dolphins—a particular species known as false killer whales, which typically swim at depths of 3,000 feet—were seen stranded in the...

More Whales Found Dead in Florida

Outlook bleak for stranding survivors

(Newser) - Sad news on the pilot whales stranded in the Everglades: Eleven more whales from the pod stranded in shallow water have been found dead and rescuers don't believe there's much hope of finding the other 29 alive, reports CNN . The group was last seen alive Friday, when it...

Hope Spouts for Stranded Florida Whales

Survivors are moving to deeper water but not safe yet

(Newser) - They're not out of the woods—or, more accurately, out of shallow Everglades waters—yet, but rescuers now believe dozens of whales stranded in Florida have a good chance of survival. The surviving 35 pilot whales from the stranded pod are slowly moving toward deeper waters, nudged along by...

Studies Uncover 'Missing Link' in Whale Strandings

Researchers observe how sonar affects behavior

(Newser) - Two new studies have uncovered what the Guardian is terming a "missing link" between sonar and whale strandings. Though the advent of military sonar in the 1950s coincided with a spike in strandings, one of the researchers involved explains that an unknown piece of the puzzle has been how—...

Dolphin Rescue Video Makes a Splash

Brazilian beachgoers save pod after mass stranding

(Newser) - So long, and thanks for all the help. Beachgoers come to the rescue of some 30 stranded dolphins in a video racking up plenty of views on YouTube, AP reports. Dozens of shocked people at the beach near Rio de Janeiro look on as the pod suddenly beaches itself. They...

Cape Cod Awash in Mass Dolphin Strandings

177 dolphins beached in past month

(Newser) - Over the past month, 177 dolphins have stranded themselves on Cape Cod , nearly five times the average of a typical full year, and 124 of those have died. As researchers struggle to understand what's behind the mass beachings, the International Fund for Animal Welfare works to help the dolphins...

Dozens of Dolphins Die at Cape Cod

Rash of strandings puzzles experts

(Newser) - Volunteers in Cape Cod are scrambling to deal with an unusual spate of dolphin strandings. A solitary dolphin was found stranded last Thursday and dozens more followed in the days after. Nineteen were treated and released but eight others couldn't be saved, and another 32 washed ashore already dead,...

Navy Sonar Terrifies Beaked Whales

 Navy Sonar Terrifies 
 Beaked Whales 
Study points to stranding link
Mar 15, 2011 4:17 AM CDT

Navy Sonar Terrifies Beaked Whales

Sonar exercises linked to mass beachings

(Newser) - A new study has provided the strongest evidence yet that naval sonar is responsible for the stranding and death of large groups of beaked whales. Researchers working near the US Navy's Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center found that the whales stopped making their clicking and buzzing calls during live...

Life on a Stranded Cruise Ship
 Life on a Stranded Cruise Ship 
Nov 10, 2010 10:06 AM CST

Life on a Stranded Cruise Ship

Spam, Pop-Tarts, and blackjack are standard fare

(Newser) - While tugboats pull a stranded cruise ship to San Diego, its 4,500 passengers are safe, the Wall Street Journal reports—but their experience has been a bit less posh than expected. Here's what their cruise home consists of:
  • They may not get to eat lobster tails, but there’s
...

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>
Most Read on Newser