. The Canadian field-naturalist. Natural history. 2002 GooLD, Whitehead, and Reid: Sperm Whale Strandings 379 Table 4. British strandings data tabulated as mainland (excluding Ireland) vs. remote islands. England + Mainland Scotland Year Whales Events Scottish Isla nds Whales Events 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 1 1 1 1 4 4 7 7 48 37 1913-1917 1918-1927 1928-1937 1938-1947 1948-1957 1958-1967 1968-1977 1978-1987 1988-1997 Total 2 0 2 0 0 1 4 5 21 35 2 0 2 0 0 1 4 5 15 29 64 53 Considering the North Sea again, Mercury and Cadmium were also found at high levels in Sperm Whales stranded on the Belgian coast (B
. The Canadian field-naturalist. Natural history. 2002 GooLD, Whitehead, and Reid: Sperm Whale Strandings 379 Table 4. British strandings data tabulated as mainland (excluding Ireland) vs. remote islands. England + Mainland Scotland Year Whales Events Scottish Isla nds Whales Events 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 1 1 1 1 4 4 7 7 48 37 1913-1917 1918-1927 1928-1937 1938-1947 1948-1957 1958-1967 1968-1977 1978-1987 1988-1997 Total 2 0 2 0 0 1 4 5 21 35 2 0 2 0 0 1 4 5 15 29 64 53 Considering the North Sea again, Mercury and Cadmium were also found at high levels in Sperm Whales stranded on the Belgian coast (Bouquegneau et al. 1997). Cadmium, although expected due to a cephalopod rich diet, was found at concentrations twice that previously recorded in the literature, and was not bound to metallothioneins (a protein known for its protective effect against heavy metals). Measured chlorobiphenol levels in British stranded Sperm Whales have been shown to be low in com- parison with other species of cetacean (Wells et al. 1997). Chemical pollution is therefore a factor for consideration in Sperm Whale strandings generally, but given the relatively good condition of recent whales stranded on the Scottish coast, it is unlikely that toxic contamination is a direct cause of such dramatic increases in strandings as are observed in the data. Industrial Activites Other than fishing, which has been considered sep- arately, the anthropogenic activities most likely to impact the deep water environment of the Sperm Whale are shipping traffic, oil and gas exploration. and military activities. Sperm Whales are deep water pelagic predators, feeding primarily on water column species and also some benthic species. Therefore, they are likely to be directly affected by activities that impact on the entire water colunm in which they live. All three of the above mentioned activities entail varying degrees of physical and acoustic intrusion into the water column. Considering the case of shipping, the passage
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