Australia
160 pilot whales stranded – helpers bring 100 back into deep water
In Western Australia, 160 pilot whales were trapped in shallow water. Helpers were able to bring around 100 animals back into the sea.
Emergency services also used boats to try to prevent another group of around 20 pilot whales (also called pilot whales) from also becoming stranded. A little further from the coast there is also another pod of around 110 whales in deeper water.
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Numerous animal rights activists and residents rushed to the beach to help rescue the animals and shower them with water, media reported. However, the authorities asked the population to only approach the whales under the guidance of experts.
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“We know people want to help, but we have asked them not to attempt to rescue the animals without direction from DBCA staff as this could cause further injury and stress to the animals and hinder a coordinated rescue operation,” the authorities wrote. In the case of mass strandings of whales, human safety is always the top priority.
“There are many theories around the world, but no one has really been able to find a cause for the mass whale strandings,” marine expert Ian Wiese, who was at the scene, told ABC Perth radio.
In 1996, there was a mass stranding of 320 pilot whales in the same region. At that time almost all animals were saved. In 2018, 100 ocean giants died after a mass stranding in Hamelin Bay, Western Australia. Last year, nearly 100 pilot whales were stranded on Cheynes Beach, east of the city of Albany. None of the animals survived. According to experts, pilot whales form extremely close bonds with each other. At certain times of the year they travel in large groups, increasing the risk of mass strandings.
Note: This article has been updated following the release of most of the pilot whales.