Dozens of dead pilot whales washed up on Tasmanian beaches in a tragic mass stranding.
Nature guide and photographer Chris Theobald, 34, found 34 carcasses on a boat trip to Bryans Beach on Wednesday morning.
“While practicing on the boat, I was driving, we came across a confrontational scene…” he wrote on Instagram.
“No time to save anything.”
Theobald and his colleague Rob Pennicott were unable to save the pod, including the calf.
The two men were alerted to the gruesome discovery by Pennicott’s son, who first saw the carcass of a lone whale floating in the water.
Chris Theobald found 34 whale carcasses while on a boat trip to Bryans Beach on Wednesday morning. Instagram / @chriscanguro
“My son Noah sent me the picture and reported it to Marine [and] Tasmania’s safety because the first whale he saw was actually floating and dangerous to shipping and boats,” Pennicott shared ABC Radio Hobart.
“And then he saw on the terrible beach [scene] more than 30 whales died on the beach.
“And for me, it’s very sad. I like dolphins and whales and seals.”
Pilot whales are the second largest dolphins on the planet and can be distinguished by their rounded bulging foreheads and short, beak-like snouts.
The tragic scene has devastated local residents, as they took to social media to express their grief. Instagram / @chriscanguro
Mr Theobald has suggested why they are stranded, writing on social media: “Strong social bonds can lead to groups following ill or disoriented pod members into trouble.”
“But a certain group of them died very quickly, suggesting they may all be sick.”
“Unrelenting fishing, pollution and now seismic explosions in our oceans can all be contributors,” he wrote.
Pilot whales are highly social and stay in social groups, which can contain over 100 dolphins.
It is commonly believed that pods of dolphins are navigated by a leader, the “pilot” (hence the name pilot whale), which is thought to contribute to the massive number of strandings.
Earlier this year nearly 100 pilot whales died after beaching in Western Australia.
Mr Theobald and his colleague Rob Pennicott were unable to save the pod, including the calf. Marine Conservation Program
A government spokesman confirmed officials from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment’s Marine Conservation Program were aware of the pilot whale’s death and had gone to the site.
“Staff, including a wildlife vet, are on site today to assess the condition and sample and measure the carcass,” the spokesman said.
“It is not known why the whales beached and often cannot be determined.”
“Pilot whale strandings are not unusual in Tasmania.”
The tragic scene has devastated local residents, as they took to social media to express their grief.
“How sad, sometimes all we can do is be a witness,” commented one woman
One user wrote: “That was horrible, definitely a heartbreaking scene,”
“It’s been happening what feels like every year now and it really makes me sad,” replied another.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
