Iceland: Dozens of pilot whales dead after washing up ashore

At least 50 pilot whales washed up and died on the northwestern coast of Iceland, state broadcaster RUV announced on Saturday, adding that none of the whales could be rescued.

RUV radio cited an eyewitness as saying that to the best of his knowledge, nothing like this had ever happened in the region on the stony coast of Arneshreppur. 

Tourists had notified the police when they found the dead whales, the Iceland Review reported, adding that most of the animals had already died when helpers attempted rescue.

The case has been reported to Iceland's environmental agency.

Loss of orientation

The whales are thought to have lost their bearings in the shallow water before washing up ashore.

Pilot whales can also lose their orientation if an injured whale swims toward the shore and its group follows it. Pilot whales are pack animals with strong social ties, which means they would be likely to follow others ashore, according to marine biologist Edda Elisabet Magnusdottir.

Strong currents and a shallow seabed also make it harder for whales to swim back into the open water. They can also make navigational errors and lose their way in bad weather conditions or while escaping predators.

In July 2019, tourists on a sightseeing tour counted 50 long-finned pilot whales washed up on a remote beach in the west of the Nordic island.

Despite their name, pilot whales belong to the dolphin family and are only exceeded in size by the orca.

Pilot whales can be found almost all over the world. A large population inhabits the North Atlantic Ocean around Canada, Greenland, Iceland and Norway.