Post mortem shows pilot whales were healthy before they swam ashore and died in N.S.
Animal autopsies on a group of pilot whales that washed ashore last weekend on Cape Breton indicate the whales were healthy.
Tonya Wimmer, executive director of the Marine Animal Response Society, says necropsies performed on eight of the whales suggest the animals were not following a sick member who had become disoriented and led them to shore. The full results of the necropsies haven’t yet been determined, but Wimmer says the whales potentially swam to their deaths because they weren’t paying attention to where they were going.Wimmer says whales are often following food and don’t realize the ocean water receding beneath them as they approach the shore.Story continues below advertisement
Elizabeth Zwamborn, a PhD candidate at Dalhousie University’s Whitehead Lab, says pilot whales are notorious for mass-stranding events and sometimes swim ashore and die after being spooked by loud noises such as underwater explosions. In total, 11 whales came ashore in Port Hood, N.S., but three were pushed back into the water by passersby and survived.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Unionized B.C. port workers vote 99% in favour of strike mandate | Globalnews.caThe International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada (ILWU) said Monday that an eye-popping 99.24 per cent of members cast a ballot supporting job action if necessary.
Read more »
Port of Vancouver places second-last on global efficiency rankingCompiled by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence, the container port performance index lists Vancouver at No. 347 out of 348 – and dead last for ports of similar size
Read more »
Canada, Netherlands taking Syria to World Court over torture claims - National | Globalnews.caThe joint application seeks to hold the government of President Bashar al-Assad accountable for gross human rights violations and torture under the U.N. Convention against Torture.
Read more »