A scene that is incredible and heartbreaking. It happened on the west coast of Australia, where they were found over 160 whales stranded. The cetaceans were trapped in the shallow waters of Toby Inlet, in Geographe Bay.
These are animals that they move in packs and who establish such close relationships that they do not abandon anyone who finds themselves in difficulty. According to experts, this may have been the reason for the chain death.
Pilot whales stranded en masse in Australia: the discovery
Over 160 whales have found themselves stranded in Australia, probably to help one or more companions in difficulty in the shallow waters. If someone has a problem, the others follow him and do everything to save him. This is a behavior that has made this species, full of secrets, even more fascinating but also vulnerable
“We know there are four pods containing a total of 160 pilot whales spread over approximately 500 metres. Unfortunately, 29 whales who washed up on the beach died,” revealed a spokesperson for the Parks and Wildlife Service Western Australia, the local Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
“A team of expert staff, including wildlife officers, marine scientists and veterinarians, are on site or en route” to save as many specimens as possible. Many of them in fact are at risk of having to be eliminated. Unfortunately, this is a procedure that is often necessary when such incidents occur. These events, in fact, are not uncommon in countries such as Australia and New Zealand. Experts also recommend avoiding personal initiatives by people who are not equipped to save animals that are so complex to manage.
Dozens of whales dead on the beach, the others will be killed
The photos and videos released by Parks and Wildlife Service – Western Australia and Dunsborough & Busselton Wildlife Care Inc are truly impressive. Unfortunately, 29 of the more than 160 whales stranded en masse along the Australian coast died in a short time. They are located at Toby Inlet, near Dunsborough, an area more than 250 kilometers south of Perth. All the attention of experts and local authorities is aimed at saving the approximately 160 specimens scattered over 500 meters of beach.
The spokesperson for the Parks and Wildlife Service Western Australia also made it known that “there are 20 whales in a pod about 1.5 kilometers from the coast. Another school of about 110 specimens is found further offshore.”
The next step is to assess the conditions of the cetaceans that have remained stranded, while trying to keep those who are safe away from the coast. It is fundamental avoid euthanasia to the greatest number of them.
Mass Stranding Mystery: What We Know
Wildlife experts are not sure why these animals come so close to the coast, but unfortunately such things happen often and cause mass deaths. In July 2023 – at Cheynes Beach in Albany, 470 kilometers south of Perth – at least 90 whales died. Around the same time, a dead sperm whale was found in the Canary Islands.
According to Vanessa Pirotta, a wildlife expert, there are several factors that contribute, in addition to the very strong bond that is created between the herds. It could depend on certain sounds, thenoise pollution produced by man which reaches the ocean in a much more important form and which could disturb the normal course of life of marine fauna.
This is why it is important to consider the impact of human activity on land and in the seas. These are habits that must be changed and managed in such a way as to put the health of the ecosystem first.
