Over 150 False Killer Whales Stranded on Remote Beach in Tasmania

Over 150 false killer whales have become stranded on a beach in Tasmania, Australia.

More than 150 false killer whales have become stranded on a remote beach in Australia’s island state of Tasmania, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

Marine specialists, including veterinarians, have arrived at the scene near Arthur River on Tasmania’s northwest coast to assess the situation, according to a statement from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

Out of the 157 beached whales, only 90 were still alive as of Wednesday, department liaison officer Brendon Clark reported. Earlier in the day, officials had estimated that 136 had survived, but the numbers dropped as time passed.

The location’s remoteness, challenging ocean conditions, and difficulties in transporting specialized rescue equipment to the area have complicated response efforts.

Authorities have yet to determine whether any of the whales—some weighing between 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) and 3 metric tons (3.3 U.S. tons)—can be refloated, Clark explained.

“To try to refloat the animals directly back into that surf would be challenging, and then of course that would also present some enormous safety risks for our staff and personnel,” Clark told reporters.

“We’ve got our experts on site now that are doing ... all that they can to determine what methodology will be implemented to try and find a suitable and a humane response to this particular very challenging incident,” he added.

This is the first mass stranding of false killer whales in Tasmania since 1974 when more than 160 beached near Stanley on the northwest coast. Most strandings in the region typically involve pilot whales.

Clark declined to speculate on what caused the incident, stating that examinations of the deceased whales might provide clues.

The stranded pod was first discovered on Tuesday afternoon, and aerial surveys confirmed that no other whales were within a 10-kilometer (6-mile) radius. Some of the whales may have been stranded for up to 48 hours by early Wednesday.

Local resident Jocelyn Flint said her son came across the stranded whales around midnight while fishing for sharks.

She visited the scene both before dawn and after sunrise but noted that the whales were too large to refloat.

“The water was surging right up and they were thrashing. They’re just dying, they’ve sunk down in the sand,” Flint said. “I think it’s too late.”

“There are little babies. Up one end, there’s a lot of big ones. It’s sad,” she added.

Mass strandings are not uncommon in Tasmania. In 2022, 230 pilot whales became stranded further south at Macquarie Harbor. The worst recorded stranding in Australian history occurred in 2020, when 470 long-finned pilot whales became trapped on sandbars in the same harbor. Most of them did not survive.

The exact cause of mass strandings remains uncertain. Scientists suggest possibilities including disorientation due to loud noises, illness, age, injuries, predator evasion, or severe weather conditions.