SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA) – As rescue efforts continue in Australia, more than half the estimated 470 mammals stranding on record were already believed to be dead.
Around 25 whales were freed on Tuesday, but officials said some stranded themselves again as they were brought back in by the tide.
Kris Carlyon, a wildlife biologist with the state government conservation agency, said, “We’re not at a point where we’re considering euthanasia … but it is always something that we have at the back of our mind. We’re still very hopeful.”
A team of about 65 state park workers, fishermen and volunteers managed to triage the pilot whales to identify the ones that are most likely to survive. These are species of oceanic dolphin which grow up to 7 metres (23 ft) long and can weigh up to 3 tonnes,
Peter Harrison, a professor at the Southern Cross University Whale Research Group, said, “It’s certainly a major event and of great concern when we potentially lose that many whales out of a stranding event.”
“Quite often we only get to really see them when there are bad outcomes, such as this stranding event. We absolutely need some more investment in research to understand these whales in Australian waters.”
The stranded pod in Tasmania was first estimated to be about half the size, until further aerial searches found another group of around 200 of the mammals nearby.
Nic Deka, a regional manager of Tasmania’s Parks and Wildlife Service, at a news conference, said, “They didn’t look to be in a condition that would warrant rescue.”