Local residents, experts and rescue teams are trying to rescue the stranded whales still alive and return them to the water. Many of the animals have already died.
Hobart – Current images of the coast of the Australian island of Tasmania in the Indian Ocean are reminiscent of a similar natural disaster two years ago. Hundreds of whale bodies lie lifeless on the island’s beach, as people try to keep marine mammals alive with special water and blankets, or bring live animals back to the water. On the spot, the situation is described by the helpers as “surreal”. According to the Department of the Environment of the southern state of Tasmania, about 230 pilot whales have run aground near the port of Macquarie on the west coast of the island.
Australia: whale death remembers 2020
Apparently there is still a glimmer of hope: “It seems that about half of the animals are still alive,” according to the Ministry of the Environment. However, experts and emergency services take care not only of live animals, but also of the carcasses of the dead. These should be pulled into the sea so as not to attract sharks to the coast.
As early as 2020, 470 whales were stranded on the Australian island coast. More than 300 pilot whales died then – why the whales ran aground at that time is still unclear to this day. However, experts suspect the group may have gotten lost in search of food.
Grindwale
Pilot whales can grow up to six meters in length. Despite the name, they are a kind of dolphin and their appearance reminds them. Each day an animal needs about 50 kilograms of food in the form of small shellfish or fish. Pilot whales are very social animals who rush to help lost or sick members of their group and can put themselves in danger in the process. (Those: whales.org)
Australian researchers are now looking for the cause
In addition to the more than 200 pilot whales, there are 14 other male sperm whales that ran aground on the coast and died on Monday. Researchers are now looking again for the cause of the massive beaching of the sea giants. A biologist from the state conservation agency told a local newspaper that such mass strandings are “rare but (…) unsurprising” in the region. The animals could have been surprised by the low tide while searching for food.
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