A seabed earthquake in the North Sea may be the reason why 26 pilot whales became stranded on a Fife beach, experts said last night.
The phenomenon, known as a seaquake, occurred off the Norwegian coast on August 30, and scientists now think it may have caused the marine mammals to veer off course.
Experts are also investigating whether sonar operations on a seismic survey vessel in waters near Aberdeen could have been responsible for upsetting the animals' navigation systems.
We moderate all comments on HeraldScotland on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.
Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.
