It’s a story that’s certainly hit the global headlines. As it’s sure to do when there’s a natural phenomenon that seems so brutal and so pointless. So tragic and so inexplicable.

Why on earth would 55 pilot whales beach themselves? It’s like something out of a Moony mass-suicide attempt? At least when humans behave like this, there’s usually a way to kind of understand it - like fanaticism or religious/cultural zealousness. But what of these beautiful, silent creatures of the deep? How can we possibly understand what drove them to do such a thing?

Photo courtesy of News24 reader: Lee Slabbert

And it’s quite amazing at how humans behave at such times. The caring volunteers who rushed out to help, spending hours in chilly waters (some even in their pyjamas) doing what they could to try and save the whales, even though their efforts were foiled again and again, with the whales just swimming outwards to beach themselves further up the coast.

And what of the poor authorities who had to take the grisly and unpopular decision to euthanase these whales with shotguns, being abused by crying and grief-stricken bystanders who couldn’t process this final act.

Word is that the autopsies should provide a hint of why these whales behaved like this. It’s not the first time whales have beached themselves in large numbers. It probably won’t be the last, for whatever reason and no matter how disturbing and puzzling it is.

But it will be an event long remembered by anyone who bore witness or was in involved in any way.

May they rest in peace.