Recently, 44 pilot whales discovered to be alive have been successfully pulled back into the water after being stranded on Tasmania’s west coast.
Last Wednesday, over 230 pilot whales were reported to be stranded on the beach, but by the time rescuers arrived, over 170 had already perished. By Sunday, the death toll of stranded whales had reached nearly 200. They were chained together and towed out into the ocean, expected to float ashore.
Also read | Australia: Nearly 200 pilot whales die on Tasmania’s west coast after being stranded
Locals tried to save whales by covering them in wet clothes, but that didn’t help much.
However, amongst 44 alive whales, two of them were discovered to be giant oceanic dolphins. The mammals were saved by towing them one-by-one into whalers off the coast with the help of state government employees, veterinarians, locals, and volunteers from the nearby area.
Nic Deka, the incident’s controller for rescue, expressed her gratitude for volunteering to save the aquatic animals. Authorities in the region have issued a warning that carcasses might wash up in the following weeks and announced that surveillance planes would be flying over the area to keep an eye on them, The Guardian reported.
Also read | What led to the death of nearly 200 pilot whales at a Tasmanian beach?
The authorities have further requested people who see any whales stranded in the area contact them immediately.
Similar instance of mass stranding happened exactly two years ago. At that time, Ocean Beach had approximately 470 whales.
As per experts, the reason for this mass stranding might never be discovered. But due to the heavy mass standing there, it is known as a “whale trap.”
As per tracking satellite data, two of the saved whales are predicted to be swimming nearby.
(With inputs from agencies)
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