Dead pilot whale found on Egmond beach after this weekend's storm

A dead pilot whale in an advanced state of decomposition washed ashore in Egmond on Monday morning following storm Boelo this weekend and Austen earlier on Friday. So far this year, 12 different cetaceans species have stranded in the Netherlands, which is "exceptionally many,” according to SOS Dolfijn. Apart from the whale, the beach was filled with other dead animals.

The whale had already been dead for some time, marine biologist Joroen Hoekendijk from SOS Dolfijn told NU.nl. It is unclear what exactly killed the cetacean. “But the pilot whale was already in such an advanced state of decomposition that no further investigation is being carried out.”

The pilot whale is the second-largest dolphin species. It feeds primarily on squid and naturally inhabits the deep sea.

This pilot whale is the twelfth cetacean species found on the Dutch coast this year. In recent days, two live harbor porpoises were spotted, while earlier this year, a beluga, a humpback whale, a sperm whale, and a common dolphin were also found. It is, therefore, an "exceptional year” in terms of stranded marine animals.

The stormy weather could be one of the reasons behind the phenomenon. “But the species that have been found come from different areas,” Hoekendijk said. “Therefore, there does not appear to be one underlying cause; it is probably coincidental.”

After the storm this weekend, which the local authorities rated between six and seven, the Egmond beach was filled with other carcasses. Beach expert Marco Snijders and his team told NH that they spent days clearing them.

The carcasses are usually taken to Utrecht University for further examination. But if an animal is in too poor a condition, it is destroyed.