Australia: Almost 100 whales stranded on beach as volunteers scramble to save survivors

Volunteers are scrambling to save dozens of pilot whales after a pod of almost 100 stranded themselves on a beach in Western Australia.

So far 52 whales have died after the group washed up on the shore by the city of Albany, on the southern tip of Western Australia, south of Perth, at around 4pm on Tuesday.

Drone footage from the state's government showed the whales clustering into a heart shape before stranding themselves on the beach.

“What we're seeing is utterly heartbreaking and distressing,” Reece Whitby, Western Australia's environment minister, said.

He added: “It's just a terrible, terrible tragedy to see these dead pilot whales on the beach."

It is currently unclear as to why the long-finned pilot whales stranded themselves.

“People are committed to doing what they can to save as many whales as they can,” Mr Whitby said.

Western Australia state’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions set up an overnight camp to monitor the whales.

Peter Hartley, a manager from the department, said volunteers were trying to get the living whales back into the water and encourage them to swim away.

“We are optimistic that we will save as many as we can,” Mr Hartley told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The team tasked with helping the whales includes Perth Zoo vets and marine fauna experts. They have been using specialised equipment, including vessels and slings.

Hundreds of volunteers also offered to help - so many that officials had to urge them to stay away from the beach.

“This is just an amazing event,” Joanne Marsh, the owner the Cheynes Beach Caravan Park told the ABC. “We've never seen anything quite like this.”

Wildlife experts said the unusual behavior of the whales could be an indicator of stress or illness within the pod.

Pilot whales are highly social animals and often maintain close relationships with their pods throughout their lives.

Macquarie University wildlife scientist Vanessa Pirotta said the drone footage could suggest the whales had become disoriented, although she said the exact reasons for mass strandings remain unclear.

“The fact that they were in one area very huddled, and doing really interesting behaviors, and looking around at times, suggests that something else is going on that we just don’t know,” she said.

She said she thought it unlikely the whales were trying to avoid a predator.

“They often have a follow-the-leader type mentality, and that can very much be one of the reasons why we see stranding of not just one but many,” Pirotta added.

Earlier in July a pod of 55 pilot whales died following a “mass stranding” on a Scottish beach.

It was believed the whales stranded because one female fell ill after giving birth.

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