Cetacean stranding

Cetacean stranding, commonly known as beaching, is a phenomenon in which <a href="/facts/Whale/EMJBgXfb">whales</a> and <a href="/facts/Dolphin/NUxUP7Ph">dolphins</a> strand themselves on land, usually on a <a href="/facts/Beach/P8dhamMd">beach</a>. Beached whales often die due to <a href="/facts/Dehydration/2RXJ8GGI">dehydration</a>, collapsing under their own weight, or drowning when high tide covers the <a href="/facts/Blowhole_(anatomy)/5ccbhgLC">blowhole</a>. <a href="/facts/Cetacea/rtC33h63">Cetacean</a> stranding has occurred since before <a href="/facts/Recorded_history/pnBxFEvW">recorded history</a>.
Several explanations for why cetaceans strand themselves have been proposed, including changes in water temperatures, peculiarities of whales' <a href="/facts/Animal_echolocation/2hggutJV">echolocation</a> in certain surroundings, and geomagnetic disturbances, but none have so far been universally accepted as a definitive reason for the behavior. However, a link between the mass beaching of <a href="/facts/Beaked_whale/l6V9Duw0">beaked whales</a> and use of mid-frequency active <a href="/facts/Sonar/0Rg2G40e">sonar</a> has been found.
Whales that die due to stranding can subsequently decay and bloat to the point where they can <a href="/facts/Exploding_whale/j34GxT4H">explode</a>, causing gas and their internal organs to fly out.

Cetacean stranding open-in-new

Cetacean stranding