Dozens of whales die in New Zealand mass stranding

The mass beaching of melon-headed whales, numbering 150, occurred in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, in 2015; the largest ever stranding occurred in February 2017, in Australia, resulting in 250 deaths, according to this article; another mass beaching of 145 pilot whales occurred in New Zealand in 2018. Then, 500 pilot whales were stranded in Australia in September, 2020. And this time. Doesn't such mass stranding occur way too often?

Isn't the cause submarine sonars, rather than parasites or epidemics? We've waited too long to know the answer.

So, researchers are investigating that possibility as a prime source: active sonar emissions by submarines when there is a school of whales nearby.

The whales may lose the sense of direction instantly and temporally by such sonar emissions, stranding on beaches and spits panicking.

something about the geography of that beach which seems to confuse whales.

Isn't the cause submarine sonars, rather than parasites or epidemics? We've waited too long to know the answer.

And we’ll have to wait longer. From what I can find, research into the effects of active sonar on whales is still very much an ongoing process. There‘a no real solid evidence to say it does, but it’s a question worth investigating.

In this case, it’s almost certainly geography’s fault

I always get in trouble when I talk about whales. "Swipe left" I always say.