55 pilot whales stranded on the Scottish Isle of Lewis. Citizens who saw the whales stranding yesterday morning immediately reported the situation to the authorities. The officers, who quickly arrived at the scene, tried to return dozens of whales to the sea. The efforts of the officials, who struggled for hours to save the whales, did not yield any results.
While officials euthanized 55 stranded whales to avoid further suffering, only one whale was reportedly returned to the sea.
SUSPECT OF MASS SUICIDE
In the statement made by the British Divers and Marine Life Rescue Group (BDMLR), it was stated that the pregnant pilot whale in the herd washed up on the shore due to a complication during birth, and the rest of the herd committed suicide with him due to their strong social ties.
The Scottish Marine Animal Disappearance Program (SMASS), on the other hand, reported that samples of the whales’ bodies will be taken and examined in the coming days to determine the cause of the incident. (UAV)