Why Do Marine Mammals Strand On Land?

Have you ever heard about, or maybe even seen, a whale or a dolphin that was helplessly lying on the beach or stuck in very shallow water? These are called “stranding events” or “strandings,” and have been documented since the fourth century. We tend to see strandings as events in which animals need human help. There are several types of strandings, each with their own possible causes. We’ll learn from scientists Katharina Peters and Rebecca Boys down in Australia and New Zealand about this phenomena and what we can do to help! This is part of our ongoing series with Frontiers for Young Minds.