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SAC Responding to Pilot Whale Stranding in Kyle of Durness

SAC News Release Ref. No: 11N92
Published: 22 Jul 2011

SAC (Scottish Agricultural College) vet Dr Andrew Brownlow is making his way to the Kyle of Durness on the north Highland coast following reports of a group of long-finned Pilot Whales coming ashore.

risk of becoming stranded and at least another 20 whales may be heading towards the shallows.

Dr Brownlow, who leads the Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme, will join the response. The action to save the whales is being led by British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR). The local coastguard and a Royal Navy bomb disposal team training in the area are also assisting.

Should any of the whales fail to make it back out to sea and do not survive, Dr Brownlow will lead post mortem examinations with the aim of identifying what has caused them to come ashore. This enables the Strandings Scheme to monitor trends in causes of marine strandings which in turn allows identification of any new or developing hazards to marine mammals in Scottish waters. 

More information about the scheme is available on our Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme pages. Anyone wishing to report a marine stranding can call 01463 243030, tweet @strandings or email stranding@sac.co.uk, giving details of the animal and its location.

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Marine Animal Strandings
SAC (Scottish Agricultural College)

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News Release Issued By

Ms Jane Smernicki
Head of Communications
SAC (Scottish Agricultural College) Work SAC, West Mains Road,
Edinburgh
EH9 3JG
TelWork 0131 535 4331

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