KING ISLAND, AUSTRALIA: In a shocking marine tragedy, at least 14 sperm whales are believed to have died after being stranded on King Island, located off the northwest coast of Tasmania, with experts still trying to figure out what it isn’t. gone wrong.
The tragic marine mammals ran aground and were discovered on Monday afternoon 19 September. The next day, the Tasmanian Department of Natural Resources and Environment confirmed that the carcasses had been found in a local fishing area. A rescue plane was supposed to fly over the island to look for other stranded whales. Wildlife expert Vanessa Pirotta said what drove the whales ashore was “a complete mystery”.
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“We just don’t know why this is happening,” he told ABC. “This is the million dollar question every time something like this happens. There may be something else bringing them to the area, but we don’t know. According to Pirotta, the grounding could be the result of a navigation error or of the group following a whale heading to shore. “But the bottom line here is that any stranding can contribute to science. Now the authorities will perform an autopsy, which is an animal autopsy, to try and figure out what these animals, but also to learn more about them, “he added.
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However, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said it is not unusual to spot sperm whales in the area. “It is not unusual for sperm whales to be spotted in Tasmania and the area where the cetaceans are stranded is within the normal beach and habitat of sperm whales,” a department spokesman told the Daily Mail Australia. “Although no further investigations have yet been conducted, it is possible that the whales are part of the same group of bachelors, a group of younger male sperm whales that mate after leaving the maternal group. “
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// WHALES DEAD, BLOOD //
A group of 14 young male sperm whales were found stranded on the west coast of King Island in Tasmania yesterday afternoon.
All 14 whales died after being discovered and are thought to have been part of a single group of bachelors.
No cause is known yet. pic.twitter.com/HnAsnU5MqP– Friendship Forever ~ Komodo Enjoyer (@delphindae) September 20, 2022
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A group of biologists and wildlife veterinarians head to the island to further investigate the incident. They will perform an autopsy and take samples whenever possible. Meanwhile, Parks and Wildlife Service personnel are also monitoring the scene on the spot. However, residents were advised to avoid the area. “Members of the public are reminded that it is a crime to interfere with protected wildlife, including the possession of parts of a dead whale, and are advised to keep their distance,” a spokesperson said. Swimmers and surfers have also been warned that whale carcasses can attract sharks.
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Resident Svetlana Jacobson told ABC she heard about the grounding on Monday. “My family and I went to see 14 whales along the beach,” she told the outlet. “They stayed there for a long time because they already had a specific smell and blood around them. Another resident, Marion Fogarty, said there had been strandings on the island in the past, but she was unaware of this happening there. “Every year or two we get stranded, whether it’s a sperm whale or several whales,” she noted.
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The tragedy comes nearly two years after hundreds of whales ran aground off the west coast of Tasmania during the country’s largest sea rescue mission. At least 470 long-finned pilot whales were found beached at Macquarie Harbor in September 2020.
Today, 94 whales have been confirmed to have been rescued after mass beaching on Tasmania’s west coast. Six whales have been saved today and 12 more can still be saved. About 350 whales died from Monday’s beaching,
📷: Bilal Rachid. pic.twitter.com/nPU0LfsFPQ
– ABC Hobart (@abchobart) September 25, 2020
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Only 111 whales could be saved after a week of relief efforts, leaving the authorities to dispose of more than 350 carcasses.
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