Masses of dead whales are washing up again off Tasmania

Puzzling phenomenon
Two years after the largest mass stranding in history – dead whales are washed up again off Tasmania

A dead sperm whale lies in the surf. Several of the dead marine mammals have been discovered again near Tasmania.

© Supplied/Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania/AAP/dpa

14 dead sperm whales have been found dead on an island between Tasmania and Australia. It is a sad picture – and a hitherto inexplicable phenomenon that does not occur for the first time.

Exactly two years after the largest known mass stranding of pilot whales in the same bay to date, numerous marine mammals have again been washed ashore near Tasmania. The animals were spotted Wednesday in shallow Macquarie Bay on the west of the island. Tasmania is located south of the Australian continent. According to the local authorities, it was initially unclear how many whales there were and how many of them were still alive. Experts were looking for an explanation for the puzzling phenomenon.

At the end of September 2020, hundreds of whales were stranded in the same region. A total of around 470 pilot whales got lost in the remote bay at the time. It was the largest known mass stranding in the history of the fifth continent. Only 111 animals could be saved during a costly rescue operation.

The second mass stranding of whales near Tasmania this week

More than a dozen dead sperm whales were discovered on an island north of Tasmania on Monday. The 14 bodies were found off the coast of King Island, between Tasmania and mainland Australia. Marine biologists and veterinarians should investigate the circumstances of the death.

The type of whale involved in the recent mass stranding is not yet known. However, experts assume that – as two years ago – it could be pilot whales. “Until we know the species, it’s hard to figure out what could have caused the stranding,” the Australian Guardian quoted Karen Stockin, an expert on whale and dolphin stranding at Massey University in New Zealand. “But since it’s happening in Tasmania, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s pilot whales.”

Among other things, a change in water temperatures could be responsible for the mass stranding caused by the climate phenomena La Niña and El Niño, Stockin explained. Then the animals would often come closer than usual to the coast. Pilot whales are very social creatures, “and if one is weakened or gets too close to shore, hundreds can follow,” says the researcher.

Pilot whales are stranded more often than other species of the sea giants because they migrate in large numbers, the AAP news agency quoted marine biologist Olaf Meynecke of Griffith University in Queensland as saying. When a whale strands, the others usually follow. “They don’t do it because they’re stupid, but because of their emotional connection to the other animals.”



Rescue operation: helpers save stranded sperm whale from drying out

Watch a video from our archive: In April, a sperm whale stranded in China and couldn’t make it back to the sea on its own. The rescue operation lasted an unbelievable 20 hours. After great effort, the helpers managed to keep the sea giant from drying out and to bring it back into the sea.

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