SYDNEY: 230 pilot whales were discovered stranded on Tasmania’s rugged west coast, and only around half of them, according to Australian authorities, appeared to be alive.Numerous black glossy creatures stranded on the water’s edge where the chilly southern ocean meets the sand were seen strewn across a lengthy beach in horrifying aerial photographs.
As several whales nearby attempted in vain to wriggle free and more lay dead, locals kept the survivors alive by covering them with blankets and dousing them with buckets of water.
According to the state’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the whales were “stranded near Macquarie Harbour.” They will probably tow the carcasses out to sea and try to refloat any species strong enough to survive in order to avoid inviting sharks to the area.
The largest mass stranding of pilot whales in Australian history occurred in Macquarie Harbour nearly two years ago today. More than 300 pilot whales perished during that stranding despite the efforts of dozens of volunteers who toiled for days in Tasmania’s icy waters to free the animals.
The cause of mass strandings is still mostly unknown. They might be brought on by pods deviating from their course after grazing too close to the shore, according to scientists. Pilot whales, which can reach lengths of more than six meters (20 feet), are very social and can often follow other members of their pod into peril.
That occasionally happens when elderly, ill, or injured animals swim to shore while other members of the pod follow in an effort to assist the trapped whale. Others contend that gently sloping beaches, such as those in Tasmania, fool whales’ sonar into thinking they are in open water.
