Killer whale found dead on Orkney beach was 'entangled'

A killer whale found on a beach in Orkney is thought to have died after becoming entangled in fishing gear.

The orca recovered from the Papa Westray shoreline is believed to be from a pod which is regularly spotted in the sea around the islands.

A report from the Scottish Animal Marine Stranding Scheme (SMASS) said no rope was found on the animal.

But a pattern of cuts on its tail "strongly indicated it was likely to have drowned after becoming entangled".

The killer whale was said to be otherwise in good condition, indicating it had been healthy.

Drowned

A statement from SMASS said: "It's not possible to say if this animal became entangled in active fishing gear or discarded/lost material, but based upon the lesion pattern it is likely the animal became entangled prior to death, was unable to reach the surface and drowned.

"Entanglements are not deliberate and there are many fishers out there who are positively and proactively engaging with efforts to mitigate the impact of fishing on our marine ecosystems.

"More needs to be done however - strategies to have less rope in the water and better management of gear conflict are urgently needed."

It added: "This group of killer whales could be particularly at risk given they are frequently sighted in areas with high mobile and static fishing effort."