Australia: Dozens of pilot whales stranded on the west coast

Numerous pilot whales have stranded on a beach off the coast of Western Australia. Between 50 and 100 of these marine mammals got into shallow water south of Perth and were in distress, according to the Department of Biodiversity and Conservation (DBCA). Animal conservationists and local residents immediately rushed to provide water to the stranded animals to ensure their survival. However, the authorities appealed to the public to only approach the whales under expert guidance.

Extremely close ties with each other

The exact cause of this mass stranding is unknown. A similar tragedy occurred in the same region in 1996, when 320 pilot whales stranded, but almost all the animals survived. Marine expert Ian Wiese told ABC Perth radio that some of the whales had already died, while others were still struggling to survive. Unfortunately, the efforts ended in 2018 at Hamelin Bay in Western Australia, where 100 of the marine mammals known as pilot whales stranded there, without success.

Last year, the same fate befell almost 100 pilot whales at Cheynes Beach, east of the city of Albany. Experts explain that pilot whales develop extremely close bonds with each other and travel in large groups at certain times of the year, which increases the risk of mass strandings. Despite the tireless efforts of rescue workers and volunteers, none of the animals survived.

Sladjan Lazic

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