Why do whales commit suicide?
The whales and their kinfolk belong to a family of furry mammals that once coped with life on the dry land. About 50 million years ago, these smart fellows returned to the seas where life was easier and food was very plentiful. Whales and porpoises descended from these pioneers. So did the gentle blue baleen whale, the biggest animal which ever lived on our planet. Once in a while we read a news item about a whale which seems to have committed suicide. His giant body is stranded helpless in the shallow waters upon some beach. Sometimes several whales become stranded and perish in the tricky tidal waters of a bay. But these unlucky fellows did not plan to end their lives. What’s more, this way of dying is very painful to the bulky giants, and whales are very sensitive to pain. There are about 100 members of the whale family. Some are the dolphins and porpoises, which are far too smart to want to end their happy lives. Some are toothed whales, like the 60 foot sperm whale which enjoys pl
