Pilot whales stranded

[Steve-G]

A "large number" of the more than 60 whales stranded in southern Tasmania are dead, a spokeswoman for the Department of Tourism, Parks, Heritage and the Arts said this afternoon.

The group of 60-70 — believed to be pilot whales — are stranded at the southern end of Marion Bay, about 60 km east of Hobart.

[maraudingmado]

I only just read it in the Daily Telegraph. Very sad :cry: :cry: :cry: . I used to see pods of them coming into Jervis Bay with dolphins.

[Dekka]

AFTER two days of desperate effort rescuers have saved 18 whales but over 130 have died in mass strandings on southern Tasmanian beaches.

Battling rough surf and strong winds rescuers managed to save eight pilot whales at the southern end of Marion Bay, east of Hobart today.
Yesterday 70 whales had beached at the southern and northern end of Marion Bay and rescuers had returned 10 animals to the water and were departing by boat when more whales began stranding at dusk.

On returning today rescuers found a further 70 of the animals, which grow up to 5m in length, had beached. Only 14 were still alive and rescuers were able to return 8 to the water.

More than 130 animals were left dead on the beach.

"It was through a really good rescue effort that eight whales were able to returned to the ocean," said Liz Wren, communication officer for Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service.

Rescues were accomplished by rolling the animals onto mats dragging them back into the water where rescuers would often swim alongside the whales making noise to prevent them from steering back into shore.

Ms Wren said there were considerable dangers involved with whale rescue.

"These are big heavy animals, with big tails and fins. They easily can roll over onto rescuers and cause injuries."

The rescue teams were a mixture of wildlife rangers, marine biologists, SES and volunteers.

Police had provided the boats.

Tasmania had one of the highest occurrences of whale beachings in the world.

"The Marion bay beach has all the classic ingredients of a whale beaching area," Ms Wren said.

"It has long sloping beaches, sandbars and river mouths."

Ms Wren said the theory was this beach topography affects and confuses the whales' directional sonar soundings.

"All it needs is one to get into trouble, whales are gregarious animals, one gets into trouble and they are all in trouble."