"Terrible situation"

Mass stranding of pilot whales in Western Australia

(Bild: AP)

Dozens of pilot whales stranded on Australia's west coast on Thursday. Numerous animal rights activists and local residents rushed to the beach near the small town of Dunsborough, south of Perth, to douse the marine mammals with water to keep them alive, according to reports.

"We know people want to help, but we have asked them not to 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 effort," Western Australia's Parks and Wildlife Service said on Facebook. The safety of people is always the top priority in mass strandings of whales.

(Bild: AP)

"The situation is terrible"
Marine expert Ian Wiese, who was at the scene, told Radio ABC Perth that some of the whales had already died. "The others are still struggling, but many will die in the next few hours." The situation is dire, he emphasized. "There are many theories around the world, but no one has really been able to find a cause for the mass strandings of whales."

Often mass strandings in Australia
In 1996, there was a mass stranding of 320 pilot whales in the same region. Almost all the animals survived. In 2018, 100 ocean giants died in Hamelin Bay in Western Australia after a mass stranding. 

Last year, almost 100 pilot whales stranded on Cheynes Beach east of the city of Albany in Western Australia. Despite the best efforts of emergency services and volunteers, none of the animals survived. According to experts, pilot whales form extremely close bonds with each other. At certain times of the year, they travel in large groups, which increases the risk of a mass stranding.