Could the "Lost Whales" help us understand Why Whales Beach Themselves?

Apparently, it is a long-standing mystery among marine biologists as to why whales beach themselves. This latest incident of a humpback whale and her calf going into the shallows of the coast of California raises the question again. It seems possibly significant that both were injured. What if whales seek shallow water when they sick or injured for the same reason humans take to their beds when sick or injured. Swimming or staying afloat in deep water requires a lot of energy and if the animal needs to conserve energy in order to heal, it seems reasonable that they might look for a shallow area where they can rest on the floor and get oxygen without a whole lot of swimming and breaching and such. This energy conservation might even be more important than food. Just as humans sometimes find that fasting speeds their recovery since it gives the digestive system a rest and lets the immune system rally. Surely, some sick, injured, or old whales succumb to their ailments and being in shallow water wash up on the beach.

If the need for recovery in shallow water is a stronger need than food, then that could be why the "whales feeding" recording didn't work. Apparently, they swam toward it, but eventually turned back. Perhaps this was because the closer they got to the source, there were no whales, or the tape didn't respond to their calls, who knows? But if food was not easily obtainable, the urge to turn back for the greater need for rest and recuperation might have taken precedence. Perhaps returning them to the "safety" of deep waters is misguided. Perhaps instead, biologists should find ways to keep people out of the area until the whales recover or could receive veterinarian evaluation and treatment.