More than 160 pilot whales stranded off the coast of Western Australia on Thursday, according to local authorities.
The Western Australian Parks and Wildlife Authority DBCA said the whales were stranded in shallow waters near the small town of Dunsborough, about 250 kilometers south of Perth.
By midday, 26 animals had died, Australian broadcaster ABC quoted a DBCA spokeswoman as saying. Volunteers frantically tried to keep 140 more whales alive, the report said.
“Based on previous strandings of this cetacean species, such as at Cheynes Beach near Albany last year, these events typically result in the stranded animals having to be euthanized as the most humane solution,” said the Parks Department Western State Wildlife Service Australia said on Facebook.
Meanwhile, rescue services tried to use boats to prevent another group of around 20 pilot whales from also becoming stranded. A little further from the coast, another pod of around 110 whales was also found in deeper water.
Animal rights activists and residents rushed to the beach to douse the 160 pilot whales with water to keep them alive. However, local authorities urged the public to only approach the whales under the guidance of experts.
“We know people want to help, but we ask that people please do not attempt to rescue the animals without direction from DBCA staff as this could cause further injury and stress to the animals and hinder a coordinated rescue operation.” the authority said in a statement statement.
“In mass whale strandings, human safety is always the top priority, followed by animal welfare. We want all staff and volunteers to get home safely.”
Marine expert Ian Wiese, who was at the scene, told ABC Perth radio that several whales had already died.
“The others are just thrashing around and we will have a lot of deaths in the next few hours,” said Wiese. “It’s terrible… there are many theories in the world but no one has really been able to find a cause.”
The largest mass stranding in Australia occurred in the same area in 1996, when 320 pilot whales were stranded. Almost all animals survived.
In 2018, 100 pilot whales died in Western Australia’s Hamelin Bay after another mass stranding.
Last year, nearly 100 pilot whales stranded on Cheynes Beach, east of the southern city of Albany. Despite the best efforts of rescue services and volunteers, none of the animals survived.
Pilot whales form extremely close bonds with each other. At certain times of the year they travel in large groups, increasing the risk of mass strandings.