The first results indicate that a pod of seventy-seven pilot whales that washed up in Orkney, the archipelago off the northeastern coast of Scotland, was in good health before becoming stranded.
The creatures were discovered on Thursday on Sanday Island after what may be the worst mass stranding in over a century.
Experts in aquatic creatures known as cetaceans have been analyzing tissue samples to determine what caused the stranding.
Thirty whales have so far undergone comprehensive post-mortem examinations, according to Mariel ten Doeschate of the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme.
Investigators are also investigating another possible link between the strandings and a pod of killer whales that were spotted hunting near the island in Scapa Flow.
The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust was notified of the orcas following the pilot whales’ deaths.
After rescue efforts failed, twelve of the animals that survived the original stranding had to be put to death. A few of them had recently eaten, suggesting they were out feeding when they became caught on Tresness Beach.
Because of the beach’s sandy texture, it would have been challenging for them to identify it using acoustics.
The experiment is anticipated to reach its conclusion by the middle of next week, and the results may have future applications in assisting wild whales. It is the most enormous mass stranding in Scotland since 1927, according to experts.
The 22-foot-long pod contained adult and juvenile males and females, calves, and youngsters. The animals’ clustering together when stranded is a behavioral stress reaction that suggests they may have been startled by something, such as a predator or a loud noise.
Six major whales have had their ears sampled in an effort to detect any signs of auditory harm.
The charity British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) thinks the whales were stranded for “quite some time” before they were discovered. The rescue operations were hindered by the soft sand, which prevented the whales from being propped up to breathe.
Burial is considered a “likely option” by the Orkney Islands Council when deciding how to dispose of the remains properly. According to Emma Neave-Webb of BDMLR, the effort to remove them would be a “massive undertaking.” The public has been asked to stay away from the beach.