ocean hides a lot of secrets, and not always people manage to solve them.Although the level of development of science is still a lot of questions that humanity would like a response.Remember even whales.It was possible to learn a lot of information about their lives.But what happens after death?As the whales die and why does it happen?There are several scenarios.
places of mass death of whales
To answer the question of how whales die, you must understand where it occurs.Fixed many cases where whales are beaching themselves, and it could be as a single phenomenon, and mass.Presumably, on the ocean floor are whole cemetery of these animals, given their life expectancy and population.However, until that time, we found only single carcasses of dead animals.
Much more interesting is the answer to the question about why whales die on land.Throw away they own, or is it a coincidence, for example, during a storm.
On our planet, there are many places where there were cases of mass death of whales on shore.Emissions themselves, or it was the result of human activity, we will consider it.But where is this going?
Sadly famous is the beach Farewell-sleeping, which is located on one of the islands of New Zealand.In February this year to shore emissions of about 200 pilot whales species (one species of whales).According to scientists, similar incident happened on such a scale for the first time in the last ten years.Despite all efforts to save the animals, about a hundred still died.By all indications, it was like a mass suicide.But what was the reason for this decision whales?
Farewell-asleep - is not the only place where cetaceans are killed hundreds.For example, only on the coast of the UK each year are more than 800 individuals.Even if we assume that all the fault of the bad weather, why whales are dying when they are washed ashore during a storm?It's all about the great mass of the animal's body.Left without the support of the water, they are crushed by their own weight.
now need to consider why whales are beaching.
problem of ocean pollution
first reason is fairly obvious.Human activity almost always harms other living beings.Whales are also no exception.Every year in the world's oceans gets a huge amount of waste - more than a million tons.Basically, it gets into the water with beaches that do not have time to time to clean.Do not forget about the passenger, cargo and fishing vessels.Knocking in a heap, the garbage attracts animals that can swallow it.
This theory has a lot of evidence.Repeatedly in the stomachs of animals that washed ashore and died, they showed kilograms of synthetic waste.For example, in 2002 one US coast washed ashore just two sperm whale.The stomach of each was found more than 200 kg fishnets and other debris.
Animals can not get rid of it yourself.Synthetic waste cause whales volvulus.To rid yourself of suffering animals commit suicide.
This version is quite convincing for a single or pair of cases that deal with the death of the whales.However, it does not explain the mass suicides.
Actions
military response to a question about why whales are dying, many zoologists say that all the fault of the powerful sonar locators that use the military in their boats.They are able to send signals over a long distance.By their nature, whales quite shy.They hunt in deep water, where there are no competitors, which means that no extraneous sounds there is also not observed.
heard sounds of sonar, the animal is frightened and trying as quickly as possible to surface.This is the reason that whales lose their orientation in space.In addition, the rapid ascent threatens the fact that they have to endure great pressure change, which is why in the animal's blood can form gas bubbles.
In 2008, near the island of Madagascar was fixed mass death of whales, although primarily in the area of such incidents were not.The death of animals associated with the work of sonar.
But it would be wrong to shift the blame on the military, without considering other versions.
cruel joke of nature
not be ruled out natural causes and that will help answer the question of why and how the whales die.
One of them - a change in the wind rose.Scientists have noted that mass suicides occur every 11-13 years, when such environmental changes.The changed wind fetches the shore plankton, which feed on these animals and disoriented whales in search of food thrown on the shore.
patient leader
Another reason for these tragic cases may lie in the social organization of whales.They live in a large group, which includes males, females and cubs.Each group has a dominant leader.If he gets sick or loses orientation, it endangers all the rest of the pack.Animals die, and scientists still wonder how and why whales are dying.Photo evidence of this theory are also many.
, for example, was recorded incident that occurred in 2012 off the coast of Scotland.Then it was discovered a whole flock of black dolphins that washed ashore.Among them - old male patient.
It is possible that a sick animal tries to run aground, so as not to endanger other members of the pack.However, they continue to follow their leader and find their death.
whales beaching in the prehistoric era
Despite the obvious and logical to all of the above reasons, we can not close our eyes to this fact: the whales are beaching themselves before the world as the first person appeared.The latter confirmation was found in 2014.In Chile, the scientists have found the remains of four whales that were thrown on land at different times at intervals of about 5 million years.It looks like the whales beaching themselves back in the prehistoric era, when human activities could not be the cause.Scientists theorize that animals could be poisoned by algae.Some of them are really very toxic to whales.
Thus, the exact answer to the question of why and how the whales die, yet can not give any scientist.Most of them agree that the cause of this is the collection of all the above factors.
