Mass stranding in Tasmania – Hundreds of whales stranded again in Australia – News

  • Around 230 pilot whales have stranded in Macquarie Harbor in western Tasmania.
  • Two years ago, the largest known mass stranding of pilot whales to date occurred in the same region.
  • A rescue operation has already begun.

A total of about 230 animals have been spotted on Ocean Beach in the shallow Macquarie Bay in western Tasmania, the Tasmanian Natural Resources Authority said. About half of the mammals were still alive.

“Pilot whales are known to be mass stranders,” explains Karen Stockin, an expert on whale and dolphin strandings, to the German Press Agency (dpa). That would be due to the extremely close bonds that the animals build up with each other.

Legend:

Hundreds of whales lie stranded on Tasmania’s shallow beach.

Reuters/NRE Tasmania

According to the expert, if a single animal is injured, sick or weak and stranded as a result, hundreds could follow. According to marine biologist Olaf Meynecke at Griffith University in Queensland, they don’t do this out of stupidity, but because of their emotional connection to other animals.

They don’t do this because they are stupid, but because of their emotional connection to other animals.

Surreal Scenes

On-site helpers speak of surreal scenes they see in secluded Macquarie Bay. They try to protect the surviving animals with the help of special blankets. Some of the marine mammals weigh two to three tons.

Helper pours water over a beached whale wrapped in a blanket.

Legend:

Helpers try to keep the surviving animals alive with water and a special blanket.

Keystone/Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Citizens were asked by the authorities to stay away from the site. Those who are not officially invited to the rescue attempts should not come. Because additional people could hinder the rescue efforts.

repetitive phenomenon

It is a sad repetition of the surreal images: almost exactly two years ago to the day, hundreds of whales were stranded in the same region. At that time, 470 pilot whales strayed into the remote bay. After an extensive rescue operation, only 111 animals could be saved.

Possible reasons for stranding


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What motivates the animals to swim to the shore? One possible cause could be mis-navigation by the leader of the group, says Karen Stockin.

Another cause could be a change in water temperatures, which is triggered by the climate phenomena El Niño and La Niña.

Such changes can lead to a change in currents, which in turn contributes to a change in prey behavior and thus leads the whales to shallower waters.

Sperm whales were found dead on King Island north of Tasmania on Monday. The 14 bodies lay on the coast of King Island between Tasmania and mainland Australia. Marine biologists and veterinarians are also on duty there to investigate the circumstances of death.

However, Stockin sees no direct connection between the phenomena, because sperm whales tend to be loners. It is still interesting that the two strandings happened so close together.

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