After 51 humpback whales died after climbing ashore in southwestern Australia on Tuesday, the country's wildlife authorities said they would have to euthanize the 47 surviving pack members after rescue attempts failed.
Immediately after the 98 whales were first spotted on Chains Beach, local authorities and volunteers began trying to save the flock, which is unknown why it came ashore — but the next morning authorities confirmed that 51 of them had died. Videos posted on social media showed heartbreaking scenes, showing the whales lying on their backs or on the side of their bodies, fluttering their fins in the shallow waters of the coast. Another video showed the whales huddled together, motionless.
Whale rescue attempts, photo: AFP
More than 250 volunteers, veterinaries and marine experts joined forces to try to save the surviving whales. According to authorities, they were stranded on the beach – prompting experts to decide "with great regret" to put them to sleep in order to avoid prolonging their suffering.
"It's a very, very difficult decision, one of the hardest I've had to make in my 34-year career," said Peter Hartley, who ran the event on behalf of local wildlife authorities. "Still, it was a thoughtful and well-thought-out decision. We know that whale bailing (in which marine mammals come ashore) is a natural phenomenon. We tried our best to save them, we were in the cold water all day to give them the best chance."
Tragedy at sea. The bodies of the whales, photo: AP.
Humpback pilot whales can reach a length of up to 7.6 meters, have a black color and a large forehead, which is found mainly in the waters of the Southern Hemisphere and the North Atlantic.
Wildlife researcher Vanessa Pirotta told Reuters that it was unknown what caused the whales to come ashore, but noted that crowding the pack before doing so was very rare in such cases. "This may be how they were actually trying to avoid a predator," she said. "These are very friendly and dynamic whales that have very strong bonds with each other," she added, noting that in cases where the pack leader fails to orient himself, it can affect the entire pack.
Whales huddle before coming ashore, Photo: AP
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