More than 200 whales have been found stranded on a remote beach on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia.
It is estimated that half of the pod of pilot whales is still around. Help is on the way to the scene. It is unknown what prompted the whales to shore themselves on a sandflat near the entrance to Macquarie Harbour, the same remote area as Australia’s worst stranding two years ago. It follows another major stranding in Tasmania’s far north a day earlier.
On Tuesday, the bodies of 14 young sperm whales were discovered on King Island, in the Bass Strait. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment in Tasmania issued a statement saying that they were organising a rescue operation for the 230 whales that were discovered on Wednesday, but that it would be “difficult” owing to the location.
About half of the creatures seem to be still alive Situated in a rural location, Macquarie Harbour is a big, shallow inlet. Overnight, it is predicted that even more whales will perish. The locals have been trying to revive the stranded whales by covering them with blankets and pouring water over them from buckets.
The state’s environment agency has reported that marine conservation experts are en route to the area to attempt to refloat any whales in good enough health to do so., Pilot whales are well-known for stranding in groups due to the fact that they are extremely sociable mammals that travel in big, tightly-knit societies that rely on regular communication between members. A massive rescue mission was begun in September of 2020 after almost 500 pilot whales became stranded in the same harbour. Of the pilot whales, almost 380 perished, although roughly 100 were saved.
Wildlife expert Vanessa Pirotta told the BBC that the incident is “rare and worrying” because it is comparable to the last stranding in terms of species, location, and time of year. She speculated that the whales “misnavigated,” followed a sick or bewildered leader, or were shocked into the shallower waters.
- Why are so many whales washing up?
- The project trying to save entangled whales
The ecosystem, the temperature of the water, and the habitats of whales’ prey could all change as a result of climate change, which could have an effect on the whales.
However, she claims that the reasons behind whale strandings continue to be a “mystery,” as does the reason why Tasmania experiences such a high number of them. There is a significant amount of marine life in the region; yet, this could lead to an increased number of accidents due to the high number of currents that cross with the land.
According to her, however, the “huge island” itself might not be much more than a navigational obstacle for species that rely on echolocation. “You’re going from what is essentially open ocean to their being land all of a sudden,” the guide said.
