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Lewis Stranding Offers Clues to Pilot Whales' Deep Water Lives

Researchers from the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme at the University of Glasgow found that 55 long-finned pilot whales stranded on the Isle of Lewis in 2023 had been feeding in deep offshore waters before the event.
Using stable isotope analysis on skin tissue, scientists identified "chemical signatures" showing the whales hunted fish and squid along the continental shelf edge, a habitat placing them closer to coastal zones where stranding risk increases.
Anna Kebke, PhD researcher at the University, said understanding these feeding habits is "critical for the development of conservation strategies," noting that pilot whales are "notoriously" difficult to study in the wild.
SMASS director Andrew Brownlow added that post-mortem exams confirmed the animals were healthy, while a separate report last month suggested a "possible social trigger for the stranding" involving a female experiencing difficult birth.
Scientists suggest understanding how feeding patterns shift in response to environmental change is essential for assessing human activity impacts and minimizing risk of future mass strandings documented in 2024 and 2025.

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Feeding shift may have steered 55 pilot whales toward Scotland mass stranding

New research, focused on the feeding behavior of long-finned pilot whales, has shed light on one of Scotland's largest mass stranding events. The study, led by the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) based at the University of Glasgow, used stable isotope analysis to reconstruct the feeding history of 55 long-finned pilot whales that mass stranded in 2023. The findings have shed light on the animals' movements and foraging behavior i…

2 hours ago·United Kingdom

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