Science in the Glorious Quran: Beaching of Whales

 “وَإِنَّ يُونُسَ لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ. إِذْ أَبَقَ إِلَى الْفُلْكِ الْمَشْحُونِ. فَسَاهَمَ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْمُدْحَضِينَ . فَالْتَقَمَهُ الْحُوتُ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ.  فَلَوْلَا أَنَّهُ كَانَ مِنَ الْمُسَبِّحِينَ . لَلَبِثَ فِي بَطْنِهِ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ .  فَنَبَذْنَاهُ بِالْعَرَاءِ وَهُوَ سَقِيمٌ”  (الصافات:139-145).

“And, verily, Jonah was one of the Messengers. When he ran to the laden ship, He (agreed to) cast lots, and he was among the losers. Then a fish (whale) swallowed him and he had done an act worthy of blame. Had he not been of them who glorify God, he would have indeed remained inside its belly till the Day of Resurrection. But We cast him forth on the naked shore while he was sick” (Qur’an, 37:139-145).

It is a documented common behavior for whales to become stranded on a beach when they are sick. The beaching phenomenon today is more common because of ships striking them, diseases, pollution of poisonous chemicals, and possibly even the effects of military sonar.

Whales eat a variety of small crustaceans, squids, and small schooling fishes. As mentioned in the above verse, when the whale swallowed the Prophet Jonah (PBUH), it was natural to feel sick and hence to beach on the sea shore. This beaching animal behavior is mentioned in the Qur’an revealed from God who is acquainted with everything related to His creation.

Under the natural circumstances, a person swallowed by a whale would die because of the lack of oxygen and the digestive secretions of the animal’s stomach. Here lies the miracle of the Prophet Jonah, who by the Will of God survived these harsh conditions.

A photo of a beached whale on Long Island (left) and an engraving of a beaching whale at Beverwijk, Netherlands, by Jan Saenredam, 1602