Authorities are attempting to conserve dozens more of the more than 60 false killer whales after a large number of people were left stranded on a distant American beach.
Tasmania’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment said a seed of 157 had beached near Arthur River, in the island’s northern west.
About 90 of the animals are still intact, according to witnesses, and the conservation department at the location is looking into whether any of them can be brought back to the sea.
Tasmania has seen a series of mass whale strandings in recent years – including the country’s worst-ever in 2020 – but false killer whales haven’t mass stranded there in over 50 years.
False killer sharks are essentially one of the largest shark species, like their animal namesakes, and may expand up to 6m and 1.5t.
The seed has been stranded at the location, which is 300 kilometers from the city of Launceston, for 24 to 48 hours, according to officials, and it will be a difficult task to save any of them.
Initial analyses indicate that relocating the dolphins will be challenging because of the remoteness of the area, the sea, and the challenges of moving specialized equipment there, according to ministry spokesman Brendon Clarke.
The complexity of this incident prevents the same methods from being used, despite the fact that rescuers have effectively saved whales at another new stranding events on the western coast.
Teams on the ground are attempting to preserve the whales dead and secure while discussing save possibilities while triaging the sharks with the best chance of survival.
Animal happiness is top of mind, but there are also concerns to be taken into account when deciding whether to take care of the safety and well-being of rescue teams.
” We have… surging coastal waters and breaking sea, and so to attempt and refloat the animals directly back into that search would be difficult, and then, of course, that would also provide some huge safety risk for our staff and personnel”.
” Because the fact that these are large animals, potentially in their death throes, and they could be writhing and moving around on beaches ,]there’s a] likelihood of somebody being injured”.
Fish are also a problem.
With local bushfires burning and limited road access, authorities have advised the people to avoid the site.
Jocelyn Flint, a native resident, reported to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that she had visited the location on Wednesday night after her son noticed the seed while out fish hunting immediately.
” There are children… There’s only people of them. Their eyes are open, they’re looking at me, like’ aid'”.
” It’s just completely brutal. They’re all struggling”.
Tasmania, which is frequently on its west coast, is where more than 80 % of American shark strandings occur.
Around 470 pilot whales were stranded further south at Macquarie Harbour in 2020 and about 350 of them died despite rescue efforts. Another 200 become stranded in the same harbour in 2022.
Because they live in large, close-knit areas where communication is essential, sharks are very social animals and are well known for stranding in teams.
There are many ideas as to why beachings happen. Some experts claim that when animals follow seafood they hunt to the shore, they may be lost.
Some people think that one person is accidentally bring a whole group to shore.