A pod of Pilot Whales consisting of no fewer than 50 animals was found stranded at a remote beach in Iceland. Sadly, all the specimens were already dead by the time help arrived.
It is understood that a helicopter full of tourists spotted the whales yards from the water at Snaefellsnes Peninsula, in western Iceland. The helicopter pilot raised the alarm, but it was too late.
Records of mass strandings of pilot whales have existed for centuries, and scientists still struggle to clearly understand the factors that drive these animals to their deaths in such a gruesome manner. Theories such as effects of military sonar and even solar storms have been postulated, but these do not seem to fit the pattern every time.
