TASMANIA, Australia. Feb 19(The Independent) – In a tragic incident, more than 150 false killer whales have been stranded on a remote beach near Arthur River in Tasmania. Wildlife officials have confirmed that 90 of the 157 animals are still alive, but noted that refloating efforts are extremely challenging due to rough ocean conditions and the inaccessibility of the site.
Brendon Clark from Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) stated that this is the first large mass stranding of false killer whales in around 50 years, as mass stranding events usually involve pilot whales. The cause of the stranding remains unknown.
Clark estimated that the false killer whales had been stranded for 24 to 48 hours. Despite their name, false killer whales are highly sociable dolphins that can grow up to 6 meters long and live in large pods, making them more susceptible to mass strandings.
Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service officials are prioritizing the survival of those animals with the best chance of rescue. “We have approximately 200 meters of surging tidal waters, a breaking surf, and so to try and refloat the animals directly back into that surf would be challenging,” Clark explained.
In previous incidents, around 470 pilot whales stranded at Macquarie Harbour in 2020, followed by another 200 in the same area in 2022. However, the remote location of Arthur River makes it impossible to move the necessary equipment in time to refloat the false killer whales.
Clark highlighted the safety risks for staff and personnel and mentioned that post-mortem investigations and sampling of deceased animals would be conducted to determine the reason behind the stranding. Due to the remote location and nearby Aboriginal cultural heritage sites, the best method for disposing of the carcasses has yet to be decided.
The public has been advised to stay away, particularly because of an active bushfire nearby. All whales are protected species, and it is an offense to interfere with a carcass.
Wildlife scientist Dr. Vanessa Pirotta emphasized that the clock of survival starts ticking the moment a whale or dolphin strands. The longer they remain on land, the lower their chances of survival. While the exact reasons for whale and dolphin strandings are not fully understood, Tasmania is a known hotspot for such events.
