Six pilot whales dead following a mass stranding in Northumberland
After a distressed pod of pilot whales was spotted off the Northumberland coast, it has been reported that six of them have died.
An incident report on the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said that the charity was alerted to the pod near to shore off Warkworth late afternoon on Sunday (September 20).
Approximately 40 pilot whales were behaving in a distressed manner typically seen prior to a stranding event. Local boats were then launched with medics aboard to attempt herding them offshore away from the danger of stranding.
A number of them remained tightly packed around one of the largest animals in the group that was laying motionless on their side.
As it got dark, the herding attempt had to be stood down as it was no longer possible to see the animals and operate safely around them.
Moving on to yesterday (Monday, September 21) the report continued as follows: “On resuming searches of the coast this morning, there was initially no sign of them. However, we soon heard from colleagues at the RSPB on Coquet Island that potentially up to a dozen whales were stranded in very difficult terrain around the rocky ledges.
“On investigation, six animals were located, five ashore and one afloat, with two of the stranded animals confirmed deceased. Assessment began on the remainder whilst additional medics and equipment were mobilised to the scene.
“Due to the tides, access to the island is limited to only a couple of hours either side of high water, with no option for people to remain on there overnight, therefore the team was working under incredibly tight timings with whatever help could arrive there by then.
“Attempts were made to refloat the live animals by our teams, however with treacherous terrain and the size and power of the animals on difficult terrain being a significant safety issue it was not possible to successfully refloat them as the tide fell away from them and they had to withdraw.”
An update to the report this afternoon (Tuesday, September 22) included the following: “This morning, our team including a veterinarian returned to Coquet Island where six animals remained from yesterday.
“An assessment took place on each, which confirmed all were now deceased. They all appear to be female and a mix of adults and juveniles.
“In the meantime, the search for the other members of the pod continued last night and again today, but so far there have been no further sightings thus far.
“BDMLR spotters are positioned along the coast with licensed and authorised drones, plus aircraft from Civil Air Support assisting. Additional vessels along the coast are also keeping watch and will alert us if anything is seen too.
“Anyone who spots groups or individual pilot whales in the region either at sea or stranded should call our rescue hotline on 01825 765546.”