About 200 pioneer whales, also known as pilot dolphins, have died after being stranded off the west coast of Tasmania, Australia, despite rescue attempts.
A group of about 230 whales stranded near Port Macquarie on Wednesday, the day Tasmania’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment declared that “about half of the animals are alive.”
However, the strong waves killed more marine mammals overnight, said Brendon Clark, the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Services coordinator.
We checked the animals yesterday [quarta-feira] As part of the initial assessment we identified the animals with the best chance of surviving (…). “Today we will focus on rescue and release operations,” he added.
Almost two years ago, in the same area, nearly 500 experimental dolphins were stranded on Earth, of which only about 100 survived.
The reasons for these phenomena are not fully understood, but scientists have suggested that they may be caused by the dispersal of some members of cetacean groups after feeding near the shore.
Since pilot whales are very social animals, they can follow group members who have strayed and become vulnerable.
The day before, 14 sperm whales were found stranded on King Island, off the southeast coast of Tasmania.
Griffith University marine scientist Olaf Minnicki told the Associated Press that it was unusual to find sperm whales stuck on shore, but explained that Global Warming Ocean currents may alter and alter the paths of traditional whale food.
In these cases, Minneki said, the animals “move to other areas and look for other sources of food.” However, “when they do, they are no longer in the best physical condition because they may starve, which could lead them to take more risks and possibly come closer to the coast,” he said.
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