Are Short-finned Pilot Whales Endangered?
Though their numbers are less in the west coast area, and somewhat small in comparison to other similar species in the cetacean family, the short-finned pilot whale’s conservation status is not endangered. They are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, but sadly they are still introduced to a variety of threats that harm their well-being. These threats range from entanglement in fishing gear, vessel strikes, and the tragic practice of hunting.
The hunting of pilot whales was observed by a group of eco-campaigners who took and shared photos of a calamitous whale and dolphin hunt in the Faroe Islands.
The photos shown in this article are both shocking and raw as they show the slaughter of several dozen dolphins and whales that were killed and consumed for their meat and blubber.
In addition to this devastating dolphin and whale hunt, short-finned pilot whales have been peculiar members of mass strandings where they beach themselves on land, leading to the confusion of researchers and scientists, and in some instances, to the whales own death.
In a recent news report, Shelby Lin Erdman with Cox Media Group National Content Desk reported that “15 whales died along the Georgia coast in the second mass stranding in just over two months.” Unfortunately, this occurrence has taken place in other areas such as the St. Simons Island where 50 whales were discovered as stranded, leaving three dead.