[ad_1]
Of: TT
Published:
February 1 | Photo: Patrick Gee
Rescue teams examine beached humpback whales.
More than 350 whales have died after being stranded in Tasmania. The rescue operation was completed and there is now growing concern that whale carcasses will attract sharks.
– There are sharks around here and the number can increase with the carcasses in the sea, says Nic Deka, Tasmania’s chief conservationist.
The Whale Beach off the coast of Tasmania is the largest in Australian history and one of the largest in the world. On Monday, the 470 humpback whales began to be discovered along the beaches and intense rescue work has been carried out since then.
After several days of fighting time, the rescue operation ended on Saturday. A total of 108 people were rescued. The work has not been easy, neither physically nor mentally. Under heavy rain, cold water, and high winds, hundreds of rescuers and conservationists have worked hour after hour to save as many animals as possible.
– It almost takes a roll of thick skin to be here, volunteer Josh Gourlay tells AFP.
– Hearing the screams, that’s probably the hardest part, she continues, adding that the anxious screams of calves that have been separated from their mothers are hard to shake.
Risks of attracting sharks
A total of 108 whales have been rescued, but the remaining 350 animal carcasses cannot remain on the beach. They can ruin the environment in Macquarie Harbor. In addition, they run the risk of attracting sharks. Therefore, the focus has now changed, from animal rescue to carcass removal in the best and most flexible way.
– These are difficult times, when there is so much to do that everything seems to break, as if it will never end, says Josh Gourlay.
The work is expected to take four to five days, according to Nic Deka. Dead whales must be gathered in small groups, protected by barriers to keep sharks away, waiting to be transported out to sea.
Be broken
According to Deka, 10 to 20 whales will then be submerged in the water at a time, and their bodies will possibly be incised to make them sink and break faster.
– There are sharks around here and the number can increase with the corpses in the sea, but we do some things to try to make them divide and decompose faster, so if there is a problem it will be for less time, says Nic Deka Reuters.
It’s not uncommon for whales to run aground, but why they do so is a mystery. The researchers suspect that the humpback whales may have drifted into shallow water in connection with their hunt, or when the pod followed one or a few sick or confused individuals.
Most of the 100 or so whales that were rescued are considered to have a good chance of recovery and survival.
Published:
