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More than 400 pilot whales have been stranded off Tasmania’s west coast. The helpers talk about the largest known beaching off the coast of the Australian island. Around 380 animals have died.
Attendees try to save pilot whales, hundreds of which have been stranded off Tasmania. Image taken on September 22, 2020.
(dpa)
Several hundred pilot whales have been stranded off the west coast of the Australian island of Tasmania since the beginning of the week. Helpers reported Wednesday that a new group of around 200 animals had been discovered just under three miles from Macquarie Bay, in which some 270 whales had been stranded two days earlier. According to rescuers, around 380 of the 470 pilot whales that have now been stranded are already dead. Another 30 animals are likely still alive, said Nic Deka of the responsible local authority. So far 50 whales have been released.
Biologist Kris Carlyon spoke of the largest stranding on record before Tasmania. One can hear the long-finned pilot whales that are still living calling to each other in their distress.
On Wednesday, emergency services wanted to determine the number of animals still alive from a helicopter using infrared technology. Most of them cannot be reached by boat, Carlyon said. The rescue operation will probably take a few days. Long-finned pilot whales are robust animals and can survive for several days in cool temperatures and rain. Rescuers focused on the animals with the best chance of survival.
Several hundred pilot whales have been stranded off the Tasman coast.
It is one of the most difficult rescue operations compared to previous mass strandings in the region, Carlyon said. In Tasmania, whales are stranded quite frequently, but generally far fewer animals are affected. A smaller group of sperm whales had recently washed ashore in the area.
Long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) are very social animals. They communicate using an extensive repertoire of whistles and live in groups, called schools, with an average of about 20 animals. When there is a lot of food, there are seasonal associations of hundreds of animals.
The groups follow the individual lead animals. After this they swim themselves in waters that are too shallow, where they can no longer orient themselves. In such strandings, the causes of which are not yet clear, most animals tend to die. One problem with rescue operations is that animals that are taken to deeper water often swim back to their companions who are still stranded.
Long-finned pilot whales, also known as pilot whales, can grow up to six meters long and weigh three tons. They feed mainly on squid and other cephalopods. The species was heavily hunted for a long time, but the number of animals has now recovered somewhat. In the southern hemisphere they are found in all oceans, in the northern hemisphere in the Atlantic. Some specimens have also been discovered in the North and Baltic seas.
Female pilot whales care for their young for several years. The life expectancy of the animals is estimated at about 40 years. Pollution of the seas and intensive squid fishing pose a threat to the population of the species today.
