Six pilot whales have died after a pod of around 40 animals was seen in distress off the Northumberland coast.
British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) was alerted on Sunday afternoon after the whales were spotted close to shore near Warkworth, displaying behaviour associated with an impending stranding.
Rescuers took to local boats and attempted to guide the pod back towards deeper water. However, several whales remained tightly grouped around one of the largest animals, which was lying motionless on its side. The operation was eventually suspended as darkness made it unsafe to continue.
The following morning, six whales were discovered among the rocky ledges of Coquet Island. Five were stranded ashore and one remained in the water. Although rescue teams attempted to refloat the surviving animals, falling tides, treacherous terrain and the whales’ size made this impossible.
BDMLR has now confirmed that all six whales have died. They appear to have been females, comprising both adults and juveniles.
Coastal observers, boats, drones and an aircraft supplied by Civil Air Support are continuing to search for the remaining members of the pod, but no further sightings had been reported by Tuesday afternoon.
Where conditions permit, the whales may be recovered for post-mortem examinations by the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme. It is hoped these will provide evidence about the animals’ health and why the pod came into difficulty.
This comes only days after a separate pod of pilot whales were sighted in the River Thames. Two individuals stranded and died, and the remaining pod was successfully ‘herded’ out to sea.
Anyone who sees pilot whales at sea or stranded in the region should contact BDMLR’s rescue hotline on 01825 765546.
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