80 Whales Beach Themselves In Western Australia 3/23/09 - Quake Coming?

80 Whales have beached themselves over a long expanse/area in South Western Coast of Australia. Some more whales were swimming out in the Bay, and authorities were afraid they too, were going to beach themselves.
Only 25 have lived.

link to article: www.smh.com.au...

About 55 stranded whales and dolphins have died after beaching themselves at Hamelin Bay, 10 kilometres north of Augusta, early this morning.

The Department of Environment and Conservation said the mass stranding involved about 80 mammals, but only 25 had been found alive.

Mr Mair said some whales were still free swimming offshore Hamelin Bay and there were concerns that those animals might beach themselves as well.

Hamelin Bay caravan park manager Melissa Lay, who has lived in the area for five years, said she has never seen an incident like this before.

Since 1984 there have been 21 mass strandings of whales and dolphins along the West Australian coast.

I would love to know all those dates of beachings since 1984 - to connect the dots to Earthquakes.

But, now I will be watching for a large quake happening somewhere around the Western area of Australia.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/c0a7f99c51bc.jpg[/atsimg]

Hamelin Bay is at the bottom West Coast - near Augusta.

There's an active fault line that runs to the east of Northam, near Meckering. Thats the only place that would have any quakes if there was going to be one, so I would specifically be looking there.

The largest quake we've ever head, was only a 4.5 I think, a few years back, but that wasnt in the Meckering area. Im pretty sure Augusta has also had one, but Im not 100% sure

Edit- Here's a link for Western Australian Seismoloy

www.seismicity.see.uwa.edu.au...

[edit on 23/3/2009 by OzWeatherman]

Posted here:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I've provided some seismic data for the area too.

There are several other tell tale signs people have been posting here. The rainbow clouds, the animals acting real strange. Plus with all the volcanic activity showing up around the globe, it seems as if the magma flow is getting disrupted. There was that thread last week about the magnetic field acting screwey. I'll tell you what, with all that has happened in the last 10 years, it is an interesting time to be alive.

Originally posted by network dude
There are several other tell tale signs people have been posting here. The rainbow clouds, the animals acting real strange. Plus with all the volcanic activity showing up around the globe, it seems as if the magma flow is getting disrupted. There was that thread last week about the magnetic field acting screwey. I'll tell you what, with all that has happened in the last 10 years, it is an interesting time to be alive.

Fortunately there is someone who lives down that way. Me.

I'll tell you right now, there hasn't been any rainbow clouds, as far as I can see the animals are perfectly fine, apart from the whales of course.


Rest assured if anything of interest happens, you'll hear about it.

Originally posted by network dude
The rainbow clouds, the animals acting real strange.

The rainbow clouds are a completely different phenomena to what the real earthquake clouds are. The rainbow clouds are formed by sunlight being diffracted and refracted by ice crystals and water droplets in the air, its called iridescence

www.atoptics.co.uk...

But the animals on the other hand seem to be pretty good at it. Maybe they are more sensitive to subtle movements of the plates

I have heard of people linking beached whales to various things over the years but I have never seen any actual links of beached whales and earthquakes. I am not saying it doesn't happen, I just haven't done the research to see if there is actually a link.

Does anyone have any real documented evidence linking beached whales to earthquakes?

There seem to be two threads about this subject, so I'll post in this one too.

There may be another explanation than a coming earthquake for the beached whales and dolphins. Naval sonar activity may have something to do with it:

Another theory that has gained credence is disturbance of echo-location, possibly by naval sonar. In 2005, after a report by the Department of Environment showed a possibility of stressed whales being further upset by noise, the Royal Australian Navy said that it would avoid operations in areas where whales were beaching.

A naval ship had been using sonar near where 145 whales and dolphins died at Mation Bay on Tasmania's east coast in October of that year.

In 2006, after the death of a bottlenose whale stranded for two days in the Thames, marine scientists blamed navy sonar and military explosions for disorienting the mammal.

www.timesonline.co.uk...

Hey Ziggy

That is a theory that I have heard before and I have heard the evidence as well. Good post.

OK well I have lived in Australia my whole life, 24 years, not much compared to some I grant you, but other than 6 weeks in Europe and 1 week in NZ I've been here the whole time, all up and down the east coast.

In my life I had experienced 0 earthquakes, in the past month, I have experienced 2, I refer you to these threads

www.abovetopsecret.com...

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Also, I was unable to find it, but before the original earthquake thread appeared, there was a thread detailing whales and dolphins beaching themselves, about 3 days before the first earthquake occured.

I'm pretty level headed when it comes to this kind of thing, but something could just be going on here

reply to post by OzWeatherman


Here's more about the difference in the coloured clouds relating to the theory of earthquake predictions from USGS:

EQ Lights
FAQ - Earthquake Effects & Experiences

USGS

reply to post by violet


It seems like there are two different types of light phenomenon that may be associated with earthquakes. The first type is very similar to circumhorizontal arcs and look like clouds in the sky with rainbows in them. The other type is more like an aurora borialis type of light or flare which is seen at night.

The scientific community will acknowledge that there may be a connection, but it is loosely acknowledged since there is no definitive explanation as of yet.

I have two theories, one is that gasses are released prior to a quake but are released over a wide area so local ground-level sensors do not pick it up. As the particular gas cloud rises, it condenses in the atmosphere causing ice crystals to form and the visible result is the rainbows or flares.
The other theory is purely conceptual right now but in a nutshell I think that as the plates build pressure and get close to the 'slip' which causes a quake, enough potential energy is built up that there becomes a charge like a static electric charge opposite from ground level from the point of pressure. So if the quake is about to rumble from 10km under the ground, the charge may build 10km (or 16km) above the ground.

The second is simply a musing I play around in my mind with whereas the first is what I see most people come up with and seems to be plausible..

Originally posted by violet
reply to post by OzWeatherman

 

Here's more about the difference in the coloured clouds relating to the theory of earthquake predictions from USGS:

EQ Lights
FAQ - Earthquake Effects & Experiences

USGS

Yep exactly

The article mentions no correlation between iridescent colours, just bright flashes. Iridescence occurs frequently without seismic activity, and its disinfo like this that confuses people.

Anyway getting a bit off topic

Even though whales, and dolphins beachings do happen from time to time, these are unusual and more so at this magnitute.

Let's hope it is not a sign of a mayor eruption.

Star, and flagged.

[edit on 23-3-2009 by ElectricUniverse]

reply to post by OzWeatherman


I didn't mean to spread untruths, I just didn't know what to call that type of cloud that was discussed before the last earthquake. Not that it would be nice to have more earthquakes, but it would be nice to have a heads up that they are coming. The damn whales should hold up a sign instead of sacrificing themselves. Oh, wait, no opposable thumbs, nevermind.

Originally posted by Karlhungis
I have heard of people linking beached whales to various things over the years but I have never seen any actual links of beached whales and earthquakes. I am not saying it doesn't happen, I just haven't done the research to see if there is actually a link.

Does anyone have any real documented evidence linking beached whales to earthquakes?

Actually, yes, you can look at the dates of the beachings, then look at within a week to 10 days, there is an earthquake right around the vicinity of the beachings.

Also, in the article it said more were swimming around, possibly wanting to beach themselves.

As I had said in the last "beachings" thread, it makes sense that whales would hear the grindings of the earth. Obviously something is bothering them, where they want to commit suicide.

I will stand by my thoughts, that beachings and quakes are in sync, look at the history of dates.

reply to post by OzWeatherman


I thought I'd post it being the source is more credible coming from the geology specialists

As you mention, the facts get distorted - usually unintentionally, so it's always best to clear them up along the way.

Originally posted by questioningall
Actually, yes, you can look at the dates of the beachings, then look at within a week to 10 days, there is an earthquake right around the vicinity of the beachings.

As I had said in the last "beachings" thread, it makes sense that whales would hear the grindings of the earth. Obviously something is bothering them, where they want to commit suicide.

I wouldn't call it "suicide", although they apparantly acted out of nature and thus caused their deaths.

Earthquakes are too common in the Pacific Rim to conclude any correlation with earthquakes. Otherwise we'd have mass beachings on our Shores .... here on the other side of the Pacific.

Predicting and EQ in the pacific region is bound to come true.

It could be so many other causes.

[edit on 23-3-2009 by violet]

Originally posted by questioningall


As I had said in the last "beachings" thread, it makes sense that whales would hear the grindings of the earth. Obviously something is bothering them, where they want to commit suicide.

Cetaceans have been around for quite a while. So have earthquakes. Not a very good survival strategy to commit mass suicide just because an earthquake might occur (that is, of course, assuming that they know about it).

Wouldn't it make more sense to just leave the area? Sea creatures are pretty unlimited when it comes to traveling a pretty good distance in the course of a few days.

It might make an interesting study though. Why not see if you can come up with some real numbers; distance from the epicenter, magnitude of the quake, "forewarning" period. Things like that.

[edit on 3/23/2009 by Phage]

Originally posted by questioningall

Originally posted by Karlhungis
I have heard of people linking beached whales to various things over the years but I have never seen any actual links of beached whales and earthquakes. I am not saying it doesn't happen, I just haven't done the research to see if there is actually a link.

Does anyone have any real documented evidence linking beached whales to earthquakes?

Actually, yes, you can look at the dates of the beachings, then look at within a week to 10 days, there is an earthquake right around the vicinity of the beachings.

Also, in the article it said more were swimming around, possibly wanting to beach themselves.

As I had said in the last "beachings" thread, it makes sense that whales would hear the grindings of the earth. Obviously something is bothering them, where they want to commit suicide.

I will stand by my thoughts, that beachings and quakes are in sync, look at the history of dates.

As I stated in your first whale beaching thread, all this data should be easily tabulated and recorded if this is the case.

But to throw a spanner in the theory, why is it that there have been 21 mass strandings since 1984 in this area, yet only 6 major earthquakes (mag 5.0+) were recorded, with the closest being west of Fremantle 6 years prior to a beaching?


Earthquakes:
1980 Dec 09 W of Fremantle 5.2
1980 Dec 10 Cadoux 5.0
1990 Jan 17 Meckering 5.5
2001 Sep 28 Burakin 5.2
2002 Mar 05 Burakin 5.0
2002 Mar 30 Burakin 5.2

www.seismicity.see.uwa.edu.au...

In WA mass stranding events were recorded in 1986, 1988, 2002 and 2005.

www.news.com.au...


[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/b7dc52f0e674.png[/atsimg]


So how about another theory as to why whales beach themselves?

This is an interesting article from 1998:

www.biophysics.uwa.edu.au...

Taken from here:
www.biophysics.uwa.edu.au...

Bioacoustics Research at UWA was first established in the School of Physics , University of Western Australia in 1995. Bioacoustics is an interdisciplinary subject that studies biological interactions with sound. Bioacoustic researchers are from a wide variety of fields; biology, zoology, physiology, physics, engineering and maths. Humans talking, frogs croaking, birds singing, whales communicating, bats echolocating, acoustic pollution, music perception and medical ultrasonics are all subjects of bioacoustics.

Currently the main focus of bioacoustic research within the School of Physics is establishing a bioacoustic mechanism that may be responsible for live mass cetacean (whale and dolphin) strandings.

Sounds interesting and quite plausible.

[edit on 23-3-2009 by Chadwickus]