Biologists are at a loss to explain the unusually high number of whales who have been found beached along Iceland's coast this year. There has also been an unusually large number of near-beachings or whale sightings deep in fjords or near the shore, where whales usually do not venture. In many cases the animals in question have been deep sea whales, like bottlenose whales.
Read more: Slideshow of the day: Rescue of stranded bottlenose whale outside Reykjavík Old Harbor
Earlier this week biologists with the North-West Iceland Natural History Museum NNV investigated a bottlenose whale, a 9 m (30 ft) long male, which was found beached near Ytri-Ingveldarstaðir farm in Skagafjörður fjord in N. Iceland. The whale appears to have died relatively recently and washed ashore. Bjarni Jónsson, the director of NNV, told the National Broadcasting Service RÚV that it appears whale beachings are more common this year than in recent years.
Three seperate beachings were reported in the Eastfjords last week, bringing the total number of reported beachings in the region to nine. In many cases the animals in question have been bottlenose whales. Two bottlenose dolphins beached themselves on Engey island outside the Old Harbor in downtown Reykjavík earlier this month. One of those whales was rescued, the other died.
Read more: Video: Local kayaker rescues a stranded pilot whale in Kolgrafarfjörður fjord
Bjarni Jónsson told RÚV that it is possible the animals are chasing schools of fish close to the shore, or searching for food. Others have pointed to a large NATO naval excercise in the ocean between Norway and Iceland earlier this summer as a possible culprit. Military sonar, used by submarines, is known to cause whales to become severely disoriented. We need to investigate this further, Bjarni told RÚV.
Biologists are at a loss to explain the unusually high number of whales who have been found beached along Iceland's coast this year. There has also been an unusually large number of near-beachings or whale sightings deep in fjords or near the shore, where whales usually do not venture. In many cases the animals in question have been deep sea whales, like bottlenose whales.
Read more: Slideshow of the day: Rescue of stranded bottlenose whale outside Reykjavík Old Harbor
Earlier this week biologists with the North-West Iceland Natural History Museum NNV investigated a bottlenose whale, a 9 m (30 ft) long male, which was found beached near Ytri-Ingveldarstaðir farm in Skagafjörður fjord in N. Iceland. The whale appears to have died relatively recently and washed ashore. Bjarni Jónsson, the director of NNV, told the National Broadcasting Service RÚV that it appears whale beachings are more common this year than in recent years.
Three seperate beachings were reported in the Eastfjords last week, bringing the total number of reported beachings in the region to nine. In many cases the animals in question have been bottlenose whales. Two bottlenose dolphins beached themselves on Engey island outside the Old Harbor in downtown Reykjavík earlier this month. One of those whales was rescued, the other died.
Read more: Video: Local kayaker rescues a stranded pilot whale in Kolgrafarfjörður fjord
Bjarni Jónsson told RÚV that it is possible the animals are chasing schools of fish close to the shore, or searching for food. Others have pointed to a large NATO naval excercise in the ocean between Norway and Iceland earlier this summer as a possible culprit. Military sonar, used by submarines, is known to cause whales to become severely disoriented. We need to investigate this further, Bjarni told RÚV.
