Whales may beach themselves due to various reasons, such as illness, injury, disorientation, or following a sick or injured member of their pod.

The recent mass stranding of dozens of whales on a beach in Western Australia has raised many questions about the behavior of these magnificent creatures and what can be done to prevent such tragedies from happening again.

The incident took place at Toby's Inlet near Dunsborough on Friday, where more than 100 pilot whales were found stranded. Thanks to the efforts of hundreds of locals who came out to help, the majority of the whales were successfully freed, but sadly 28 of them did not survive.

Dr Joshua Smith, a marine biologist and senior research associate at Murdoch University, believes that the whales may have been confused by the long, sloping seabed in the area. He explains that for these whales, who are used to deeper waters and rely heavily on echolocation, the gradual increase in depth every kilometer may have been disorienting.

"They use echolocation to navigate and image their environment, so this sudden change in depth could have been very confusing for them," he said.

There are several theories as to why whales beach themselves, and Smith notes that many strandings occur in similar locations around Australia. He believes that the whales' highly social nature may play a role, as they tend to stick together and help each other in times of distress.

"They may have been protecting a sick individual or seeking shelter from predators, such as orcas, in the safety of the bay," he explains. "However, there have been no reports of orca sightings in the area during that time."

Another theory suggests that whales may strand themselves in response to sonar noises from deep water vessels, but Smith believes this is unlikely in shallow coastal waters.

Despite years of research, the exact reason behind mass strandings remains a mystery. Smith emphasizes that the whales' well-being is of utmost importance, and even if they are successfully returned to the ocean, they may still suffer from internal organ failure due to the immense pressure of their own body weight without buoyancy.

The close social bonds among whale pods were also evident in the reluctance of rescued whales to leave their stranded companions behind. Smith explains that this is a common occurrence and re-beaching can happen.

Many wonder if these incidents are becoming more frequent, and if climate change is playing a role. Smith points out that whales have been stranding long before humans started impacting the environment, but there is evidence to suggest that mass strandings may be happening more often.

While climate change is certainly affecting whales, Smith explains that it is unlikely to be the direct cause of a stranding. "The impact of climate change on the oceans is typically seen on a much larger scale, but it can indirectly affect the distribution patterns of whales and lead them to unsuitable locations that could result in strandings," he says.

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