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Mass Australian stranding leaves 28 whales dead
MELBOURNE, Nov 28, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Twenty-eight whales were found dead in
the remote southeast of Australia Wednesday, following a mass stranding that
has baffled experts.
A pilot flying a private plane over Croajingolong National Park in Victoria
state spotted 27 pilot whales and one humpback stranded on the beach Tuesday
afternoon.
An initial visit by park authorities later that day found eight of the
whales were still alive but in a critical state. By the time rangers returned
on Wednesday, all were dead, officials said.
The humpback whale is thought to have died well before the rest in a
separate incident.
Gail Wright of Parks Victoria said samples were being taken from the
remains to try to understand how the whales came to be stranded.
“It’s one of the great mysteries, we don’t know why this happens,” she told
AFP, adding that this was probably the largest stranding in that part of
Australia since the early 1980s.
Up to 145 pilot whales were found washed ashore on the weekend in a remote
part of southern New Zealand.
Half the animals were already dead and the rest were put down because there
was no chance of rescuing them in the remote location.
Exactly why whales and dolphins strand is not fully known but factors can
include sickness, navigational error, geographical features, a rapidly
falling tide, being chased by a predator, and extreme weather.
BSS/AFP/MSY/1223 hrs