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We're at COP28 to Save the Whale, Save the World.

We’re at COP28 to save the whale, save the world

Ed Goodall Ed is WDC's head of intergovernmental engagement. He meets with world leaders to...
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We’re taking steps to uncover the mysteries of whales

Vicki James Vicki is WDC's protected areas coordinator, she helps to create safe ocean spaces...
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We’re urging governments to protect all of our climate heroes – CITES

Katie Hunter Katie supports WDC's engagement in intergovernmental conversations and is working to end captivity...
The Natütama Foundation are dedicated to protecting endangered river dolphins. Image: Natutama

Guardians of the Amazon: protecting the endangered river dolphins

Ali Wood Ali is WDC's education projects coordinator. She is the editor of Splash! and KIDZONE,...
Amazon river dolphins. Image: Fernando Trujillo/Fundacion Omacha

Amazon tragedy as endangered river dolphins die in hot water

Ali Wood Ali is WDC's education projects coordinator. She is the editor of Splash! and KIDZONE,...
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin © Mike Bossley/WDC

WDC in Japan – Part 3: Restoring freedom to dolphins in South Korea

Katrin Matthes Katrin is WDC's communications and campaigns officer for policy & communication in Germany...
Wintery scene in Iceland

Seeking sanctuary – Iceland’s complex relationship with whales

Hayley Flanagan Hayley is WDC's engagement officer, specialising in creating brilliant content for our website...
Whaling ship Hvalur 8 arrives at the whaling station with two fin whales

A summer of hope and heartbreak for whales in Icelandic waters

Luke McMillan Luke is WDC's Head of hunting and captivity. Now that the 2023 whaling season...

A sperm whale stranded on my doorstep

When I stepped out of my van and saw the whale that had stranded early on Saturday on Edinburgh’s shore, just 10 minutes from my flat, it took me a minute to compose myself. Although led on his side, belly facing the beach, mostly submerged by the rising tide, there was no doubt this was a sperm whale. Although he wasn’t quite fully grown, a whale ‘teenager’, at almost 14 metres he was still a sight to behold.

As the day drew on the crowds increased. Everyone was filled with wonder at this mysterious creature from the deep that was now just 50 metres from our shore. Emotions were high. There was a general feeling of excitement, but also sadness, and several people I spoke to were moved to tears.

Stranded sperm whale Edinburgh

Someone reported seeing other whales in the area first thing on Saturday morning. I kept my eye on the horizon through the hours of daylight, sure I would see any blows on this calm, frosty January day. None were seen. It is almost exclusively male sperm whales that strand in Scottish waters because the females stay in warmer seas, whilst the males migrate north to feed on Arctic and sub-Arctic squid. Sperm whales are sociable animals. This male may have been returning from a foraging trip north with his bachelor friends and post mortem can help us to understand this by studying stomach contents.

At 26 tonnes, it was a huge undertaking to move this whale from the beach to a suitable place to enable post mortem to learn what we could about cause of death. It was today that the post mortem was conducted by the expert SMASS team and I was fortunate enough to assist.  Detailed post mortem results will take some time, but initial findings were that the whale didn’t die due to any obvious human induced cause. He had evenly spaced tooth rake marks on the front of his head (with roughly the same distance between each as his own tooth spacing), suggesting various interactions with whales about his size. Maybe relatives or companions in his bachelor pod?

There were also handfuls of squid beaks in his stomach.

Squid beaks from stranded sperm whale

Did this whale, and possibly his pod, make a navigational error and end up in the North Sea by mistake? Did the other whales stay with this whale until he stranded and perished before making their onward journey, and do they still think of their young companion? These are challenging questions to answer. We have so much more to learn about these deep ocean giants that live in sociable family groups, care for one another and show cultural learning in their societies.

Thanks to Martin Scott for the initial report, to all those involved in the recovery, BDMLR, HM Coastguard, local Councils – especially the Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme team – and to everyone who came out to see and learn about the whale.