Thursday, March 30, 2006

Final OBX Whale Beaching Report Doesn't Rule Out Sonar

The January 2005 beaching of 36 whales on the Outer Banks has been a hot topic of debate, especially in light of all the controversy surrounding the Navy's proposed offshore sonar range. After a year of investigation and examination of the whales' remains, the final report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was released this week but did not determine a definitive cause. No biological problems were found that could have lead to the beaching. Even more puzzling was that 3 different species of whales beached in 3 locations within hours of each other. 33 pilot whales beached themselves near Oregon Inlet, a minke whale came ashore in Corolla, and 2 dwarf sperm whales beached near Cape Hatteras. The report also revealed that the Navy had been testing sonar for two days only 54 nautical miles offshore just prior to the beaching. The details on this report are pretty interesting and while NOAA doesn't blame the Navy, the vast majority of other potential causes have now been ruled out. More on the beaching report is available from the News & Observer and the Outer Banks Sentinel.

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