About 70 pilot whales have stranded on a beach in Western Australia. Officials and about 20 volunteers are trying to get the animals back to sea. “If we have healthy, viable animals, we will do everything we can to help,” said one of the experts involved.
The marine mammals are part of a larger herd that previously huddled 100 meters offshore for hours in an extremely unusual behaviour, Australia’s ABC broadcaster reported Tuesday, citing the Biodiversity and Conservation Authority (DBCA).
By mid-afternoon (local time), most of the group’s whales began to beach east of the town of Albany.
The reasons for the strange behavior of the animals were still completely unclear. A DBCA spokesperson urged onlookers not to approach the animals.
Rescue efforts are complicated
“When these animals lie on the beach for a long time, gravity and the weight of their bodies put a lot of pressure on their organs,” says marine mammal researcher Rebecca Wellard. Therefore, rescue attempts are very complicated. There is always a risk that the whales will become stranded again after rescue.
Last year, 230 pilot whales stranded on the Australian island of Tasmania. 200 of them died. In 2018, 100 ocean liners died after a massive stranding in Hamelin Bay, Western Australia. According to experts, pilot whales form very close bonds with each other. At certain times of the year, they travel in large groups, increasing the risk of mass strandings.
Source: Krone
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