Whales die mass, he suspects due to Russian submarines

Some British marine researchers believe that the high frequency of Russian submarine activity in the North Atlantic region may have led to the death of a series of whales drifting to the English coast.

Newsweek reported on September 12 that 43 bodies were found in the coast of five islands in western Scotland in just over a month. This is an unusual number, 15 times higher than the number of whales that die every year in this area.

This unusual phenomenon caused the British government to open an investigation. Experts after a period of analysis suspected that marine traffic activities, especially submarines moving underwater near the whale's habitat, may have caused the sudden increase in the number of whales. turn.

Mariel Ten Doeschate, an analyst with the stranded marine animal program in Scotland (SMASS) funded by the British government, says Cuvier's snout-like whale is particularly sensitive to the sonar system (the technique of using propagation sound to find the path) of submarines because they can dive as deep as 3km.

A whale swims on the Clyde River in Glasgow, Scotland.(Photo: Getty).

According to studies, ultrasound signals from submarines or geological surveys often inhibit mammals. Meanwhile, ultrasound can threaten deep-diving whales that make them rise quickly, leading to diseases of the air or diseases that divers or sufferers.

The transition from one level of pressure to another can cause air bubbles to accumulate in the whale body causing breathing problems.

SMASS is still in the process of determining the exact cause of mass whale deaths in the Scottish coast. Nick Davison, who collects marine animal reports for SMASS, said the phenomenon is also beginning to appear in nearby Ireland coast.

"Something is happening clearly on the continental shelf of Ireland. We have seen similar cases in 2008 or winter 2014, 2015 but such a large number is unprecedented ," Nick said.

Although not directly asserting the Russian submarine fleet was the cause of this unusual phenomenon, the British newspaper The Times in a recent article implicitly refers to Russia's involvement in the case when it reiterated its opinion. UK Defense Chief Gavin Williamson said Russia has increased its submarine activity 10 times in the North Atlantic in 2018.

US Navy commander Admiral John Richardson in early August 2018 expressed concern about the sudden increase in the number of Russian and Chinese submarines in the North Atlantic. NATO and the British Ministry of Defense also issued similar warnings about this increase. However, SMASS thinks it is too early to draw a conclusion.

"The cause is still unclear. But one of the main suspects is the mid-range sonar. These are the deepest diving whales in the world. Sonar can make them affected. But what happens is also happening. going in international waters and it could be related to any navy , " said Nick Davison. The expert also revealed that he had contacted the military to clarify the problem.