230 Pilot Whales Stranded In Australia, About Half Could Be Dead

Sydney: Around 230 pilot whales were found stranded on the rugged west coast of Tasmania Wednesday. According to Australian officials, only half appeared to be alive.

“A pod of approximately 230 whales has stranded near Macquarie Harbour,” the state’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment was quoted as saying. “It appears about half of the animals are alive.”

Aerial images showed a devastating scene of dozens of black glossy mammals strewn along a stretch of beach where the frigid southern ocean meets the sand, NDTV reported quoting agencies.

The area was the scene of another mass stranding involving almost 500 pilot whales and just over 100 survived almost two years ago. Although the causes of mass strandings are still not fully understood, scientists have suggested they could be caused by pods going off track after feeding too close to shore, the report added.