Whale strandings

Planet Diary Archive 2004 - Fauna - Whales and Dolphins Stranded:


"Environmentalists in Australia say the beachings may be linked to underwater seismic tests used during exploration for oil and gas in the area, but have no solid proof. 'Sound bombing' of the ocean floor to find oil and gas sources has been going on around Tasmania recently. One member of the Australian government called for a halt to the tests until the end of whale migration season. In recent years, sonar or underwater sound wave tests have been suspected in other whale strandings. The high-energy blasts of sound may disorient the mammals and damage their ears."

Strandings can occur from seismic activity, oil exploration has been suggested, toxins like toxic algae bloom, parasites and disease. The above article refers to the whales and dolphins which were beached in Tasmania in 2004. Most of them died. On November 30th 2004 Senator Bob Brown talked about the sound bombing to look for oil and gas because it was the second year in a row whales had been beached after seismic testing and our politicians wanted to stop it during the whale migratory times: “There is growing evidence that such activities may impact on whales and dolphins but research data is inconclusive,” Senator Brown said. “However, the precautionary principle should apply and the tests, until shown to be safe, should stop – at least in whale migrations seasons,” Senator Brown said(greens.org.au). On Dec 27th 2004 there were beached sperm whales on the Tasmanian coast. The whales, each between seven and 23-32 feet long, were discovered dead late on Monday on a beach near Strahan, 110 miles west of Hobart in Tasmania. Prior to the Indian Ocean tsunami, on Dec 24th Australia's southern state of Tasmania experienced the world's largest earthquake in three-and-a-half years when it struck under the sea half way between Australia and Antarctica.The earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale hit near Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean, more than 800 km (500 miles)southeast of Tasmania, at about 3 p.m. So I daresay the whales are sensitive to all this quaking going on too. It's sad. I know we are working on it and geophysicists are trying to understand as fast as they can. I know people are out there doing their bit and I guess that's what it's about, isn't it? Knowing what's there and doing your bit to turn this juggernaut around.