Rescue is a race against time: 70 pilot whales stranded on the Australian coast

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About 70 pilot whales have stranded on a beach in Western Australia. They are part of a larger herd that used to huddle 100 meters offshore for hours in some extremely unusual behaviour. The Australian broadcaster ABC reported this on Tuesday with reference to the Authority for Biodiversity and Conservation (DBCA). In the afternoon (local time), much of the group then began stranding on Cheynes Beach east of the city of Albany.

A DBCA spokesperson urged onlookers not to approach the animals. Officials and about 20 volunteers tried to get the pilot whales back to sea.

Gravity harmful to organs

“If we have healthy, viable animals, we will do everything we can to help,” the ABC quoted one of the experts involved. The reasons for the strange behavior of the animals were still completely unclear.

“When these animals lie on the beach for a long time, gravity and the weight of their bodies put a lot of pressure on their organs,” says marine mammal researcher Rebecca Wellard. Therefore, rescue attempts are very complicated. There is always a risk that the whales will become stranded again after rescue. (SDA)

Source: Blick