Two whales wash up dead on Scottish beaches after becoming 'entangled in ropes'

This article contains images that some readers may find distressing

Two whales have washed up on Scottish beaches within a week after becoming entangled in rope, according to experts.

The body of a 9.6m long female humpback whale was discovered near Granton after washing ashore. A week later, a female minke whale, measuring 5.75m, washed up in Johnshaven, Aberdeenshire.

Volunteers from the Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme (SMASS) managed to collect tissue samples and detailed images from the scene which allowed them to determine the most likely cause of death for both animals was entanglement.

Two whale bodies have washed up in Scotland after apparently becoming entangled in rope. Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme

“Both of these were sub-adult animals in moderate body condition, suggesting they had been successfully feeding prior to becoming entangled,” a spokesperson said.

“The humpback whale had bruising and abrasions across the throat pleats and around the pectoral fin consistent with some sort of rope.

“The minke whale had much more obvious signs of entanglement, with a deep encircling laceration around the tailstock and twin linear lesions on the underside of the fluke consistent with a rope which was under tension and had dug so far into the into the tissue it had almost amputated the fluke, most likely whilst the animal was still alive.”

SMASS volunteers were called to the scene after the whale was discovered Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme

Neither whale was stranded with any material still attached meaning it was not clear for SMASS experts to determine what specific kind of rope may have been involved.

It could have been active fishing gear, marine debris or rope from a non-marine source.

However, the lesions were consistent with the type of injuries SMASS has seen caused by creel rope.

Lesions on the humpback and minke whales were consistent with creel rope, experts say. SMASS

“This also highlights the significant welfare and conservation issues caused by entanglement in floating rope around Scotland,” SMASS said.

So far this year SMASS has received 12 reports of wild animals, including grey seals and basking sharks, dying due to entanglement.

The organisation is teaming up with the Scottish Entanglement Alliance (SEA) who is working closely with the fishing industry to better understand the scale and impacts of entanglement, and to trial practical mitigation measures.