First our values, then our anuses, and now our whales.
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO STOP THIS MADMAN!
Dead sperm whales are being washed ashore along the coast of Ireland and Russia may be to blame.
Increased Russian submarine activity in the Atlantic could be threatening the creatures as Vladamir Putin continues his invasion of Ukraine.
Sperm whales, along with cuvier’s beaked whales, are among the deepest-diving species of whales. They can descend up to depths of 1.9 miles and hold their breath for around four hours.
Unfortunately, this puts them at the same depth as the sonar used by submarines.
The whales are frightened by the powerful sonar bursts and attempt to escape to the surface.
However, if they surface too quickly, they fall victim to decompression sickness (known as ‘the bends’ where nitrogen molecules accumulate in the blood and cause blockages or clots) and die.
Marine biologist Sean O’Callaghan posted images of the carcasses to Twitter, writing: ‘Dead deep diving whale species have been washing into the west coast of Ireland in recent days.
‘The three big storms last week have brought them ashore but they have been dead for well over a week to 10 days if not longer and more might make landfall.’
Dead deep diving whale species have been washing into the west coast of Ireland in recent days.
The three big storms last week have brought them ashore but they have been dead for well over a week to 10 days if not longer and more might make landfall. pic.twitter.com/WsnDyWTDj2— Seán O'Callaghan (@KerrysWildside) February 22, 2022
She was 8.5 m long and was in a good overall physical condition. Her lower jaw was sawed off the day before I visited her which is typical for sperm whale strandings (taken by souvenir hunters or to sell the teeth it seems even though its disrespectful and illegal). pic.twitter.com/2rlsOXJetB
— Seán O'Callaghan (@KerrysWildside) February 22, 2022
The Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney had previously revealed his department has received notification from Russia that it intended to undertake military exercises in early February, approximately 240 kilometres (150 miles) off the Irish southwest coast.
Now, with the actions in Ukraine, it is highly likely Russia has increased its submarine prescence in the ocean.
In a letter to Russia’s ambassador to Ireland Yury Filatov, Irish junior minister Malcolm Noonan said the military exercises were ‘deeply concerning’.
Mr Noonan said the impact on a number of species could be ‘devastating’.
Mr Noonan said in January that underwater sounds such as military sonar ‘can have devastating consequences’ for a number of species, including sperm, beaked and ‘the deep-diving and rarely-seen blue whale’.
One particular Twitter user, known as KendalHZ60, was even more specific in replying to O’Callaghan’s tweet:
‘The sonar uses a frequency range, and a pattern that draws the large whales in – it’s a form of a distress call for a hungry calf. The sonar/whale calls are a mimic from different pods collected over the years. The whales, specially their calls and activities, are used to hide the Russian submarine from detection.’
KendalHZ60, who has only been on Twitter for a month, added: ‘The second set of sonar from the Russian sub causes massive haemorrhage in the whales, causing a dispersal AND masks the sounds of torpedo doors opening, the water jet, the kick-start of the thermal-high compression engine, etc.
The Russian submarine from detection.
The second set of sonar from the Russian sub causes massive hemorrhage in the whales, causing a dispersal AND masks the sounds of torpedo doors opening, the water jet, the kick-start of the thermal-high compression engine, etc— KendalHZ60 (@Hz60Kendal) February 24, 2022
‘The Russians are trying to reduce the time that a sonar operator needs to identify the sounds, identify the type of torpedo, make a call to warn the crew, and any self-protection anction needed to survive a torpedo attack. The Russians are A-holes.’
An increased concentration of Russian submarines in the Atlantic could also be an indication of plans to sever underwater communication cables.
This is out of control.
Adam Kinzinger just posted this poster that Putin keeps on the wall of his bedroom:
Kinzinger explained that Putin’s philosophy is “you gotta nuke something.”