Status: 09/22/2022 3:16 p.m
Helpers were able to save 32 of the stranded whales in the Australian state. They’re back in the water, according to the wildlife service. Most of the 230 whales did not survive. The rescuers are still trying to save three animals.
Of around 230 whales stranded on the west coast of the Australian state of Tasmania, 32 have been rescued. Only 35 survived the night’s violent surf, said Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service manager Brendon Clark. 32 of them were brought back into the sea with heavy equipment and boats.
That was “an excellent result,” said Clark in Strahan. Response teams had previously tirelessly moistened the whales’ bodies with buckets of water and wet towels. Australian media reported a “race against time”. The rescue was a logistical challenge: Ocean Beach, where most of the animals were stranded, is a 30-minute walk from the nearest parking lot.
Great stress for the whales
Another three pilot whales have survived on Ocean Beach. According to Clark, however, it has not been possible to get to them so far. They will be taken care of the next morning.
Nevertheless, according to whale researcher Olaf Meynecke from Griffith University in Queensland, it is unclear how great the probability of survival of the whales actually is. The rescued animals were probably extremely stressed, he told the dpa news agency.
Some of the survivors may try to return to their stranded friends and family members, he explained. The reason is that pilot whales built extremely close bonds with each other. According to the authorities, two of the rescued had already returned towards the shore.
Causes still unclear
The timing of the stranding was meanwhile not unusual: Pilot whales are at certain times, such as now in the Australian spring and towards the end of winter, in large groups, explained whale researcher Meynecke. This increases the risk of mass stranding. “Some animals may be sick and stray into a bay with shallow water. Subgroups that the whales are friendly or related to will follow them – literally to the death.”
It is still unclear why the animals were stranded. Biologist Kris Carlyon of the state’s Conservation Agency said it was investigating whether the dead whales had toxins in their bodies, which is one possible explanation.
Dangerous channel
The whales were stranded in Macquarie Bay. There is very shallow water and a canal that is considered dangerous. Two years ago, more whales were stranded in the same bay than ever before in Australia. Around 470 pilot whales were spotted there in September 2020. 111 of the animals were saved, the others died.
14 male sperm whales died on a remote King Island beach on Monday. The island is also part of Tasmania. Researchers are also looking for the cause there. Biologist Carlyon told local newspaper Mercury the animals may have been caught off guard by the low tide while foraging near shore.