16 pilot whales die after stranding on Nova Scotia’s remote Sable Island - BERITAJA

The Marine Animal Response Society successful Nova Scotia says it’s looking into the stranding of 16 pilot whales connected Sable Island and hopes accusation collected from the Parks Canada tract will thief it amended understand the earthy phenomenon.

The society, which is simply a registered kindness that focuses connected protecting marine life, says it was contacted by Parks Canada connected June 10.

A personnel of the Sable Island Institute had spotted the whales during a regular formation study connected Sable Island National Park Reserve, about 290 kilometres southeast of Halifax.

Some of the whales had already died.

“Parks Canada reported the incident to the Marine Animal Response Society (MARS). Unfortunately, owed to the location and authorities of the animals, involution successful this lawsuit was not possible,” Parks Canada told BERITAJA.

MARS says the area was excessively distant for intervention, and the remaining animals died soon afterwards.

“It’s alternatively difficult to get location and they person constricted unit who are connected the land and constricted equipment. So we were capable to, done the awesome efforts of Parks Canada — which we’re very grateful — they were capable to thief do immoderate archiving and beryllium capable to cod immoderate samples,” said Tonya Wimmer, co-executive head of MARS.

“But unfortunately, pinch the timing of erstwhile you could get retired location — erstwhile there’s backing for planes and things — the animals would beryllium excessively acold gone by the clip we could really get a squad out.”

She adds that aviator whales are “not mini by immoderate agelong of the imagination” and could beryllium about six metres agelong and measurement respective tons. That contributes to the trouble successful reaching them.

“Sable Island itself has different logistical challenges successful position of currents, successful position of different predators that are successful those waters, for illustration grey seals and sharks and things for illustration that,” she said.

Wimmer says it’s hoped that the samples collected by Parks Canada will thief their squad amended understand marine mammal wellness and the factors that lend to strandings.

According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, it’s unclear why whales strand. The section notes connected its website that stranding is about communal among “very societal toothed whales,” specified arsenic aviator whales.

“Whales whitethorn strand because they are lost. Or possibly 1 sick personnel of a group strands, and the others person followed. Necropsies of stranded whales person revealed that immoderate were sick aliases injured. Some had parasite infections successful their heads, possibly making them confused. But galore others seemed to person thing incorrect pinch them,” its website states.

Wimmer adds that location are “many times that the origin is unknown.”

“Even conscionable their societal behaviour is capable that if 1 goes, the remainder go,” she said.

“And often, there’s tons of theories that get put retired location successful position of disease, successful position of noise, successful position of different elements. And successful galore cases, we can’t tell. If it is simply a patient group of animals that ended up connected a beach, location could beryllium aggregate reasons why that whitethorn person happened.”

MARS has a hotline to study stranded, injured aliases entangled marine animals successful the Maritime provinces. It could beryllium reached astatine 1-866-567-6277.