A study into the deaths of 55 long-finned pilot whales on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland, July 2023, found that the whales were generally in good overall health before they beached, with no significant underlying diseases. But one of the female whales was shown to have had a difficult birth, which may have been due to a large or poorly positioned calf. Pilot whales are known for their strong social cohesion, and the entire group may have followed the distressed female into shallow waters.
The Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS), which carried out the investigation, concluded the female’s distress vocalisations may have been the “possible social trigger” for the mass stranding. Once beached at Tolsta’s Tràigh Mhòr, the whales were unable to refloat and return to sea. Only one whale refloated successfully; the rest died or were euthanised on welfare grounds.
The full report can be read here
