US tourists on a helicopter ride over western
Iceland spotted about 50 dead pilot whales on a beach, radio station
RUV reported.
The whales were discovered by the tourists on Thursday as they flew
over the remote Snaefellsnes peninsula. They took a video of their
discovery and alerted police.
Despite their name, pilot whales belong to the dolphin family. It is
not clear why they washed ashore or how long they had been there.
Marine biologist Edda Elisabet Magnusdottir told the station that one
explanation for the mass stranding could be that pilot whales are
pack animals with strong social ties, which means they would be
likely to follow others ashore.
In addition, she said there are strong currents in the area and the
shallow seabed makes it harder for them to swim back into the open
water.
Robert Arnar Stefansson of the Icelandic Institute of Natural History
told RUV that while it is not uncommon for pilot whales to be
stranded at this time of year, the number of whales stranding is
unusual.
The whales were discovered by the tourists on Thursday as they flew over the remote Snaefellsnes peninsula