Following the deaths of 28 whales that were stranded on a beach in the southern region of Western Australia, over 100 whales have been released.
When the disturbing image was discovered this morning, a sizable contingent of volunteers joined the rescue effort.
At Toby’s Inlet near Dunsborough, four pods of roughly 160 pilot whales splayed across 500 metres of beach, according to the Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions Department (DBCA).
Observing the 160 whales struggling and gasping in the shallow waters, their obvious agony was terrible.
Restoring the ocean giants to the water required an enormous amount of work.
The animals were sent back into deeper water by the hundreds of beachgoers who threw water at them.
One volunteer claimed, “I was trying to keep them out, about waist-deep.”
“It was a bit rough, trying to dodge tails and stuff because they were very determined to try to come into shallows.”
“Others were just holding them up, to keep breathing, keeping them on their tummies so they can keep their breath hole open,” a different witness stated.
Among the 28 people that perished was a newborn.
“This is the first time I’ve ever heard of a stranding of this kind,” whale researcher Chris Burton said.
Following the rescue attempt, which lasted for hours, a spotter plane kept an eye on the whales all day.
The reason why their self-beach remains a mystery.
According to experts, it might be a case of one pod member falling ill and others joining them, or it might occasionally be noise disruption.
Authorities dispatched a spotter plane, and it saw the whales for the last time more than 1500 metres out to sea.
Tomorrow, patrols will go out into the ocean to keep an eye out for whales.
The 500-meter stretch of beach has been reopened after the bodies of the deceased were recovered from Toby Inlet.
To help with the rescue effort was a group of skilled personnel that included veterinarians, marine scientists, and wildlife officers.
In addition to keeping other whales together and off the beach, the personnel had been working to evaluate the status of the whales who had become stranded.
“Our team is making every effort to safely respond and keep volunteers and staff safe, while also acting in the best interests of the whales.”
At least 52 pilot whales—roughly half of the pod—died off Albany’s Cheynes Beach last year, despite efforts by volunteers to guide them into deeper water. This is the reason for the widespread stranding.
Experts at the time were perplexed by the whales’ pre-beach activity.
According to the DBCA, euthanizing the beached animals would be the “most humane outcome” based on the occurrence involving the same species of whale.
“We always hope for the best outcome.”
The Western Australian Parks and Wildlife Department has before stated that during large-scale stranding incidents, human safety always came before animal welfare.
“We know people want to help but we asked that people please do not attempt to rescue the animals without direction of DBCA staff as this may cause further injury, and distress to the animals and hinder a coordinated rescue effort,” the department stated.
