The stranded dolphins.

[~max~]

Hi all! I have just heard of that horrible fate some dolphins have come to, and was wondering...Sorry if I'm being dim!

Why do they die, if they are in the water? Even if it's not very deep, they should be able to survive? Can someone explain please?

[andy-hughes]

If the water is too shallow to float the dolphin, its body weight will crush its lungs. That's the most likely explanation. Another feature is stress - dolphins are highly intelligent and they stress very easily if they can't move and swim freely.

One theory for this incident is that sonar from navy ships may have disorintated the dolphins, but the sad truth is, we will never know for sure.

[gen2]

Yet more proof that Sat Nav systems don't always work properly.

(Sonar Assisted Telemetry)

[Noweia]

If they beach themselves on shore they slowly suffocate. It's like when you're in the swimming pool you weigh less, but in reverse - when the dolphins beach themselves they can't support their own bodyweight, and the lungs are slowly crushed. I think what happened here is that the ones found dead in the water had been beached but the tide had come and moved them.

[Noweia]

Also, in this incident we had two species stranding, which is highly unusual. The post mortems so far haven't revealed any illness in the dead animals.

[funnytroll]

awesome dolphin steaks all round then?

Hope this helps

[~max~]

Thanks everyone, I had absolutely no idea about the "crushing" of the lungs! It all makes more sense now. Poor things....

[alfieblue]

What a terrible shame - poor creatures. And still rescue people are still trying to save them. I am keeping my fingers crossed for the remainder, that they survive and swim into deeper safer waters. x