International Desk //

157 whales have stranded on a beach in the Australian state of Tasmania. Of these, 67 whales have died. The rest are also at risk of death. Vigorous efforts are underway to rescue them alive. This information has been stated in a BBC report.

It is believed that these whales stranded on the beach near Arthur River on the northwest coast of Tasmania on Tuesday (February 18). The place is about 400 kilometers from Hobart, the capital of Tasmania. The stranded medium-sized black whales are known as ‘false killer whales’.

Australia’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment issued a statement on Wednesday (February 19) regarding the incident. It said that authorities are trying to rescue the whales. Marine animal experts are present at the scene.

Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service official Brendan Clark said 157 false killer whales were stranded. “We estimate the whales have been stranded there for 24 to 48 hours. Of those, only 90 are still alive.”

Experts and veterinarians are examining whether the whales can be rescued and released into the sea. However, Brendan Clark said, “It is very challenging and it is quite risky for the officers.” Authorities have asked the public to avoid the area and access to roads has been restricted.

Tasmania has had several such incidents in recent years, including the country’s worst in 2020. However, there has not been so many false killer whales stranded at once in the last 50 years. False killer whales are one of the largest dolphin species. They can grow to 6 meters long and weigh up to 1.5 tons.

Local resident Jocelyn Flint told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, “My son saw the whales while fishing at night on Wednesday morning. He went to the scene and saw a lot of whales stranded. There were baby whales there… they had families. Their eyes were open, they were looking at him, as if they were asking for help.”

More than 80 percent of Australian whale strandings occur in Tasmania and on the west coast. In 2020, about 470 pilot whales stranded in the southern part of Macquarie Harbour, and about 350 of them died despite rescue efforts. Another 200 stranded in the same harbour in 2022.

Whales are highly social mammals and are known to strand in groups. There are different theories about why they strand on beaches. Some experts say they may get lost while hunting small fish off the coast and become stranded on the shore. Others think one whale in the group may mistakenly carry the entire group ashore.

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