Australia’s Largest Whale Beaching in Over a Decade

By Ana Chauhan, staff reporter, The Pawprint

It has been estimated that at least a third of 270 whales that stranded off Tasmania have died. Rescuers and marine biologists are fearing that many more are dying. In this region, whale beachings are common, however one of this size has not occurred in over a decade. 

On Monday, rescuers from the Tasmanian Marine Conservation Program found three groups of whales lying across Macquarie Heads. Approximately 200 whales were found washed up on a sandbar near a boat ramp, whilst about 30 others were found not too far away. 

“It might have been a single misadventure by one or two of them and because pilot whales are such a social species, that may have drawn the other animals in,” Dr Carlyon said.

Since Tuesday morning, a group of about 40 trained rescuers have been using equipment to push the whales off the sandbar and into deeper waters.

If the rescuers observe that the whales are doing well in the water, they would then attempt to push them further out.