Whale strandings: hypothesis.
The hypothesis is presented that whales become stranded inadvertently as a consequence of seeking stimulation. The animals enter shallow water in order to roll over, bask, and rub themselves in the sand, and are trapped by the receding tide. It suggested that stimulation-seeking behavior (and stranding) reflects a general sympathetic nervous system response which may be due to a number of factors such as pain, discomfort, reproductive state, and other biorhythmic changes.
D000818:Animals; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D002591:Cetacea / Q000502:physiology; D012677:Sensation / Q000502:physiology; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D014907:Whales / Q000502:physiology