2006, a year of unusual marine strandings
After the huge coverage of the Bottlenose whale that swam up the Thames in January there have been a string of unusual marine strandings and deaths in 2006 around our shores. The Northern Bottlenose whale is a rare visitor to our UK waters, but not as unusual as the Yellow fin tuna that washed ashore recently in Burry Port Estuary in Wales. Another unusual visitor, a Sei whale, became stranded and died in Lough Larne in Northern Ireland, The first time for 90 years this species has stranded in Ireland.
Some 2006 marine strandings.
- January. Bottle nose whale dies in the Thames.
- February. Sperm whale dead on Skegness beach.
- July. Dead sperm whale seen floating in the Channel.
- July. Sei whale dies in Lough Larne.
- August. A five foot long Yellow fin tuna, a fish normally only found in tropical and subtropical waters is found dead in Burry Port Estuary
- August. Minke whale and calf found dead on a beach in Cumbria.
- August. Baby Minke whale dies after getting caught in fishing nets in the Forth estuary.
- August. Two Northern bottlenose whales strand at Skegness.
- September. Juvenile female Minke whale found dead in Thames.
- September. Humpback dies at Hull docks.
- September. Minke whale found dead at Flamborough Head.
- October. Minke whale found dead on Cambois Beach, Northumberland.
- November. Minke whales still resident off the Isle of Mann.
- November. Minke whale stranded in Cornwall.
There has been a general increase in whale sightings in 2006 all around the UK coast, possibly caused by the warmer weather earlier in the year, so we would expect a higher number of strandings. However the wider variety of locations and the species being stranded is a surprise.
