DFO researchers are considering a number of possibilities as to what caused huge numbers of krill to wash up on Long Beach, Trinity Bay last week, but they admit, the real cause may remain a mystery.

Lynette Peach and her two young children made the unusual discovery while on a walk along the shore last week.

Shrimp biologist with DFO Science, Katherine Skanes, says they tested the krill but no obvious cause of death could be found.

It’s the first time Skanes has seen the phenomenon in Newfoundland, but similar incidents have been seen elsewhere.

One incident occurred in Nova Scotia a few years ago, while there have been similar reports in Massachusetts, California and Oregon.

Skanes acknowledges the krill were likely driven onto the beach by whales feeding in the area, but in some cases elsewhere surface water temperatures killed the crustaceans.

Warmer water at the surface where krill mate can lead to less oxygen. That appears to have been the cause of similar incidents elsewhere, but the true cause may never be known.