Six juvenile male sperm whales stranded off Denmark’s west coast have died after becoming trapped in shallow waters around the North Sea island of Fanø, prompting renewed concerns about the risks large whales face when they enter narrow, tide-driven seas.
Authorities located four whales on Friday on stretches of coastline between Fanø and the Skallingen peninsula, near Esbjerg. Two more were located on Saturday, and by Sunday all of the animals had been confirmed dead. The last survivor, stranded at southern Fanø, was reported to be about 13.6 metres long.
Police and environmental officials cordoned off beaches as the whales weakened. Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke urged onlookers to respect cordons, warning that disturbance would stress the animals and complicate any rescue attempt.
The Danish environmental authority said it is not possible to euthanise a stranded sperm whale in a way that is both ethical and safe, so officials opted to simply let the remaining animals die.
In the aftermath, jawbones were removed from carcasses and sent to the University of Copenhagen for examination. Officials said the step was taken both for scientific analysis and to deter theft after parts of a sperm whale’s jaw were stolen earlier this month when another animal stranded in Jutland.
The Fanø incident is Denmark’s third sperm whale stranding this year. The Danish Environmental Protection Agency has noted that males migrate from Arctic waters toward warmer areas south of England at this time of year, and can become disoriented when they end up in shallower North Sea waters.
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