Two pilot whales dead after mass stranding

Image source, BDMLR Image caption, The pod contained about 40 pilot whales

Two pilot whales have died after a distressed pod was spotted off the Northumberland coast.

British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said it had been alerted to a group of about 40 whales near to the shore at Amble at 15:00 BST on Sunday.

It said the whales had been "behaving in a distressed manner typically seen prior to a stranding event".

Due to the tides, attempts to refloat the animals had been unsuccessful, the charity said, and rescue teams were forced to withdraw.

Whales are highly social mammals and are well known for stranding in groups because they travel in large, close-knit communities which rely on constant communication.

There are a range of theories for why beachings occur. Some experts say the animals can become disorientated after following fish they hunt to the shore.