Why Do Whales Wash Up on Beaches? 🐋😳 Seeing a whale stranded on a beach can be shocking and heartbreaking. Many people wonder how something like this even happens. When a whale ends up on shore, it’s called stranding. This can occur for several reasons. Sometimes the whale is injured or sick. In other cases, navigation errors, strong currents, or shallow coastal waters can confuse them. Stranding isn’t intentional — it’s usually a sign that something has gone wrong. This video explains why the