We know that whales are mammalian and lung-breathing animals. To breathe, they need to rise to the surface to take air out of the atmosphere. So why do they die when they get stuck in the sand on the beach?
Although their breathing occurs by capturing air from the atmosphere, when these animals are stranded on the beach, their breathing is made difficult due to the pressure their body exerts on the lungs. Whales are gigantic animals adapted to aquatic life and therefore cannot support their weight on land. Its body is so heavy that it puts pressure on internal organs, including the lung, and the whale is unable to oxygenate its body.
In addition, other factors are decisive for the death of a beached whale. As it lives in the sea, it does not have sweat glands, thus not being able to cope with high temperatures. You must have already gone out in a black outfit on a sunny day! Now imagine this together with a lot of fat on your body. The dark color of whales and the large amount of fat make this animal suffer from excessive temperature rise. The heat ends up causing the whale to dehydrate.
For a whale to survive a stranding, rapid removal is necessary. However, sometimes the damage to an animal's body is so great that it will not survive even if it returns to water. In such cases, it is better to sacrifice him than to take him back to the sea, thus increasing his pain.
Several factors can cause a whale to run aground, including disease and injury
There are many reasons proposed by researchers for the stranding of whales, some suggest that these animals they usually have diseases that affect their nervous or auditory system and, consequently, their ability to function. to locate. Another factor that can lead to grounding is injuries caused by other animals, being run over by boats and ships, in addition to nets and other materials used by man in fishing.
Sometimes the stranding happens en masse, that is, several individuals run aground together on the beach. This is due to the fact that some species live in groups and a leader is responsible for guiding the rest. If something goes wrong with the leader, the whole group will be harmed. So if he can't find his way, he can kill all the others.
Some researchers even relate the strandings to military activities using sonar, which end up confusing the animal. Pollution is also a factor that can trigger serious illnesses and can also cause stranding. It is worth noting that the animal is often already dead when it reaches the beach due to illness or injury.
