"Tragic Stranding of Pilot Whales in Western Australia: Optimism for 45 Survivors
Key Highlights :
On Tuesday, July 26, 2023, a pod of almost 100 long-finned pilot whales was spotted in shallow waters off Cheynes Beach in Western Australia. Despite the efforts of volunteers and staff from the state's Parks and Wildlife Service, the pod suffered a devastating tragedy when fifty-one of the whales died overnight.
The remaining forty-five whales are being monitored, and if they are deemed strong enough, they will be released into deeper waters. Volunteers in kayaks will help to herd the whales past the rocky part of the coast and out into the ocean. Incident controller Peter Hartley expressed optimism that the remaining whales could be saved, stating, “We’ve got to be optimistic in this game. It’s highly stressful for all the people here—volunteers and staff—and you’ve got to have something to hold onto.”
The Parks and Wildlife Service has been overwhelmed with offers of help, but they have enough volunteers and are asking the public to stay away from the beach for safety reasons. The priority is the safety of staff and volunteers and the welfare of the whales.
Mass strandings of pilot whales are not uncommon in Australia and New Zealand. Last October, around 500 pilot whales died when they beached on the remote Chatham Islands in New Zealand. Scientists still do not fully understand why mass strandings occur, but pilot whales—which can grow to more than six meters (20 feet) long—are highly sociable, so they may follow pod-mates who stray into danger.
Bec Wellard, a marine mammal scientist at Project Orca, said the reasons for whale strandings were still not known. “We still don’t know why—if we did, we could perhaps do more to prevent it,” she said. “But with pilot whales, they frequently strand en masse—an individual might be ill or in trouble and the rest of the pod follows them—that can lead them to strand.”
Wellard also emphasized the importance of trying to re-float the whales together due to their “strong family bonds”. However, if the surviving whales’ health is compromised, an assessment needs to be made as to whether efforts to refloat them would just be prolonging their suffering.
The tragedy at Cheynes Beach is a heartbreaking reminder of the fragility of nature. While the loss of fifty-one whales is devastating, there is hope for the remaining forty-five. With the help of volunteers, staff, and the public, the pod may yet be saved.
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