Volunteers assisting pilot whales after stranding themselves on Cheynes Beach in Western Australia [Handout: Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, via AFP]
More than 50 pilot whales passed away after stranding themselves on a beach in Western Australia, however authorities stated on Wednesday they were “positive” that the other 45 whales in the pod might endure.
The pod of nearly 100 long-finned pilot whales was found in shallow water off Cheynes Beach, about 400 kilometres (250 miles) southeast of Perth on Tuesday.
Fifty-one of them passed away over night, regardless of the efforts of volunteers and personnel from the state’s Parks and Wildlife Service.
Late on Wednesday afternoon, occurrence controller Peter Hartley stated the making it through whales were being kept an eye on and, once they have actually been examined as being strong enough, they would be launched.
Mass strandings of pilot whales are not unusual in Australia and New Zealand.
Last October, roughly 500 pilot whales passed away when they beached on the remote Chatham Islands in New Zealand.
Researchers do not completely comprehend why mass strandings happen, however pilot whales, which can grow to more than 6 metres (20 feet) long, are extremely friendly, so they might follow pod-mates who wander off into threat.
“We’re positive – we’ve got to be positive in this video game,” stated occurrence controller Peter Hartley. [Handout: Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, via AFP]
A representative stated the Parks and Wildlife Service had actually been “overwhelmed with numerous deals of assistance” however that it had sufficient volunteers and the general public ought to “keep away” from the beach “for security factors”. [Handout: Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, via AFP]
Residents try to save the pilot whales stranded at Cheynes Beach. [ABC TV Australia via AFP]
“The concern focus of the Incident Management Team is to make sure the security of personnel and volunteers and the well-being of the whales,” stated the representative for the Parks and Wildlife Service. [ABC TV Australia via AFP]
Mass strandings of pilot whales are not unusual in Australia and New Zealand. [Handout: Allan Marsh/Cheynes Beach Caravan Park via AFP]
Researchers do not totally comprehend why mass strandings take place. [DBCA via AP]
The pod of practically 100 long-finned pilot whales was identified in shallow water off Cheynes Beach, about 400km (250 miles) southeast of Perth on Tuesday. [Handout: Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, via AFP]
