www.bbc.co.uk 21st May 2011
A pod of around 60 pilot whales seem to have escaped mass stranding off the island of South Uist, Scotland, according to animal welfare experts. The pod was first seen near Loch Carnan on Thursday afternoon with around 20 whales suffering head injuries. Sick and injured pilot whales are known to beach themselves to die but occasionally healthy individuals follow suit. The whales also enter shallow water in search for squid, their main source of food. Although it now seems the pod has re-entered deep water, and disaster averted, inflatable pontoons are still in place to refloat beached whales and a British Divers Marine Life Rescue team remains on standby. A similar event in October at the same loch ended in 33 pilot whales dying on a beach in County Donegal.
