A group of at least 160 pilot whales became stranded on a beach in the town of Dunsborough, in southwest Australia, where local authorities rushed to help them return to the deep sea. However, at least 29 of them died before a rescue attempt could be launched. Western Australia’s Parks and Wildlife Service detailed on its Facebook page that it had mobilized its staff, along with experts and veterinarians, to the incident site to try to save the pilot whales and guide them back into the ocean, but some died before they could be helped.
Dozens of pilot whales were stranded on a beach in Western Australia on Thursday as wildlife authorities and volunteers tried to save them. pic.twitter.com/cIRKSUDI5U
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) April 25, 2024
“We understand that there are four groups totaling up to 160 pilot whales spread out over about 500 meters,” the organization said on Facebook, noting that 110 of them were very close to the shore.
Images shared on social media show dozens of pilot whales crowded in shallow waters near the coast, in an area known as Toby’s Inlet, located over 250 kilometers south of the city of Perth.
Around 100 pilot whales have returned to the sea after a mass stranding and dramatic rescue operation at a beach in Western Australia. Of the 160 whales that beached, 29 died. pic.twitter.com/XES0bnhUrw
— DW News (@dwnews) April 25, 2024
Despite Efforts, at Least 29 Pilot Whales Died
Some local media indicated that despite the efforts of volunteers and local authorities, at least 29 pilot whales couldn’t be saved; they were just a short distance from the shore but couldn’t be returned to the sea in time. Wildlife experts suggested that the whales’ unusual behavior could be a sign of stress or illness within the pod. Pilot whales are highly social animals and often maintain close relationships with the group throughout their lives.
Pilot whales are large marine mammals with robust bodies and conical shapes. Adult males can reach up to 7 meters in length, while females are slightly smaller. So far, the largest stranding of pilot whales in Australia occurred in 2020, when 470 of them were trapped on the shore of a remote Tasmanian island, of which only about a hundred could be rescued and returned to the open sea.
This story was written in Spanish by Lizbeth Garcia in Cultura Colectiva News.
