> > I'm just curious as to WHY we push whales back into the ocean after they have beached themselves.
> >
> It's not actually known what causes them to land, but one of the theories is that high-powered sonar devices confuse them. The reason to push them back is that there aren't that many of them (and a diverse ecosystem is a nice thing, so species dying out without replacement isn't) and besides, it's an extremely slow and painful way to die, so pity plays its role too.

Not to mention, if the whale isn't returned to the water, there's a rotting, stinking whale carcass sitting on the beach. I , for one, have no interest in living in a town that had a decomposing whale within its borders. That woud reek to high heaven and take absolutely forever to finish decaying.