The sea turns red as 150 whales are battered to death against rocks in mass stranding off Australian coast
By
Richard Shears
Last updated at 9:06 AM on 01st December 2008
Heartbroken wildlife officials, mourning the death of 150 small whales when they were smashed against rocks in Tasmania, admit there will probably be other mass strandings in the weeks to come.
Just why whales die in large numbers continues to be debated but most experts agree that the deep-water creatures might lose their navigational skills when they chase prey into shallow waters.
The bodies of the long-finned pilot whales lay scattered across the rocks at Tasmania's rugged Sandy Cape after local people and government wildlife officials tried desperately to save them.
The water in the tiny Tasmanian bay was turned red with blood after the long-finned pilot whales were battered to death in the mass stranding
Puddles of blood can be seen among the rocks as frustratead wildlife officials watch the scene, unable to help
But the whales had been badly injured as the wild seas smashed them against the sharp rocks and saving them became an impossible task.
However a second group of about 30, which had been milling around offshore, were able to be saved from stranding and were shepherded out to sea.
'We wish we could have saved them all, but their chances of survival in that sort of environment were much less than if they had come ashore on a sandy area,' said Mr Warwick Brennan, a spokesman for Tasmania's Department of Primary Industries and Water.
Heartbreak: Wildlife rescuers attempt to refloat a whale after the death of 150 small whales when they were smashed against rocks in Tasmania
Whale mystery: Wildlife officers attach a satellite tracking device to a pilot whale after a mass beaching on Tasmania's north-west coast
Saving the second group of 30 was achieved by clever tactics, learned by the experts over years of dealing with mass strandings.
They heard one of the partially-stranded whales calling to the offshore pod and there was a danger it would 'lure' the group onto the rocks.
'We decided to move that one particular mammal further up the beach and out of range of the others,' said Mr Brennan.
'Our first priority was to stop the others from stranding, so we decided to move the animal still calling onshore further up the beach and away from the pod to see if that made any difference.
This map shows the travel paths of the whales which have been tracked as part of efforts to prevent another fatal mass stranding
'Unfortunately that particular whale died, but what happened then was those 30 whales milling around seemed more willing to move on and with a boat in the water we managed to shepherd them out of the bay.
'Hopefully, those whales now will move on.'
Only last week, 65 long-finned pilot whales were stranded on Tasmania's Anthony's Beach and officials managed to rescue 11 and return them to the sea.
'We put some transmitters on those surviving whales and at last report they were in the Bass Strait and moving well,' said Mr. Brennan.
'So we do know that mammals that are stranded and rescued do survive.'
He said wildlife officers were going through periods when they were dealing with strandings every 12 days.
'That runs from a single animal stranding to these mass strandings and at this time of the year it seems to be especially busy.'
Officials believe the strandings occur in the weeks leading up to Christmas due to the increased amounts of food that the whales chase towards the shore.
Share this article:
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below?
Paul of Norwich - its people like you that make me despair of the human race - then I think about how hard people worked to try to save these wonderful creatures and I think well people like you are in the minority.
This is not a natural occurance. Naval communications are to blame. Have you ever heard what their communications sound like? I'm sure if you checked the ear canals of the whales their ear drums will be damaged.
I'm sure if somone held a loudspeaker up to your ear and caused it to feedback you certainly wouldn't stand it for long. Whales can't cover their ears sadly. The sound in water is amplified a 1000 times and travels many hundreds of kilometers.
No wonder so many of the whales got confused. They probably realized by getting out of the water or moving to shallower waters they would have some relief.
Add your comment
FEMAIL TODAY
- Is this the worst piece of airbrushing ever? Mel B's hips disappear in new advert Looks like an artist with Ultimo underwear got a little carried away
- Eliminated Christine Bleakley racks up a £4,500 bar bill at Mahiki after performing her last tango in Strictly Adrian Chiles went along to help commisserate
- After that disastrous X Factor performance, Britney high-tails it to New York She mimed, was booed and jetted home leaving upset fans behind her
- 'Cheating' Gordon Ramsay plays the family man in cheesy TV ad featuring wife Tana and four children The TV chef displays impeccable timing...
- Strictly survivor Rachel is 'so determined' to get to the final... because the dancing's doing wonders for her figure And she wore a strapless dress to prove it
- What split? Dannii Minogue parades her rugby player beau The Aussie was all smilies and puppy dog eyes in a low-cut gown at the Children's Baftas
- Simon Cowell 'completely freaked out' after his £140k Bentley is bugged The pop mogul's security team found a tracking device under his car
- While mummy's away, daddy Becks is left holding the babies (and they're running riot!) The little ones proved a real handful on a boys' outing to the basketball
- Feeling all white? Nicola Roberts looks queasy after rollercoaster ride with mystery man The singer looked paler than ever at a winter fair
- Geri is more Cheeky Girl than Spice Girl in a transparent red dress Miss Halliwell gave a glimpse of her bottom as she did a twirl at the Children's Baftas
- Worse-for-wear Alesha Dixon celebrates chart success by cavorting with TWO men The 30-year-old star left Movida looking a little tipsy at 3.30am
- Angelina Jolie shows off her flat stomach proving she's NOT pregnant The mother-of-six pulled on a slim-fitting tailored dress in New Orleans
- Fresh-faced Coleen parties until 6am... and still makes it to Wayne's lunchtime match Mrs Rooney performed her WAG duties after clubbing with friends
- How the NHS betrayed Alzheimer's patients: As services are slashed, the Mail launches Christmas appeal
- Heads FINALLY roll over Baby P... but will arrogant social services boss get a hefty pay-off?
- Labour 'plot' to save the Speaker: Leaked email reveals secret Michael Martin meeting
- Arranged marriage wife 'murdered husband with her lover'
- Home Office 'mole' breaks cover to 'set the record straight' over Tory MP leaks
- No.10 hints at review of police powers as Sir Ian Blair's replacement faces calls to quit
- BBC in new decency row after John Barrowman exposes himself during live broadcast
- GP 'groped patient's breasts while operating computer'
- Parents' anger at Lapland theme park which turned out to be a muddy field
- Relate counsellor sacked for refusing to give sex therapy to gay couples because he was Christian
- Crisis-hit school facing closure spends £100,000 on toilets that play classical music to pupils
- Two St Bernards die after 100 are rescued from appalling conditions at abandoned kennels
- Man charged with arson - for lighting Guy Fawkes bonfire on village green
- Civil servant 'hacked son of ex-lover to death in revenge after she ended affair'
- Axe falls on 1,350 jobs as Aston Martin, HSBC and Halfords announce cuts
- City banker pays £50,000 to become world's first 'affordable' space tourist
- Tourists warned to stay away from Venice after city suffers worst flooding in 30 years
- Snow storms set to bring travel chaos to Britain as cold snap continues
- Schoolgirl Vicky Hamilton was murdered by handyman in 'barbaric act of unspeakable horror,' jury told as trial reaches closing stages
- Muslim peer banned from driving after sending text message moments before fatal car crash
- Climate change targets could push up household bills by a QUARTER, says Government chief
- Mortgage lending dives 70% to second lowest figure on record as new bank collapses
- Police shoot man dead at 'Omen' cathedral
- Mandelson blamed over 'Britain wants to join euro' claim from EC president
- Mother loses libel case against daughter who wrote book about her abusive childhood
- Massacre in Mumbai: Under doctors' care, the gunman who carried out the hospital attack
- MORE HEADLINES
- Another scandal at the BBC as Dr Who star John Barrowman apologises for exposing himself during live broadcast
- Arrest... or assault? Judge's disgust after soldier is held down and hit eight times by POLICE
- Home Office 'mole' breaks cover to 'set the record straight' over Tory MP leaks
- Ed Balls sacks £100,000-a-year Baby-P social services boss . . . and says she doesn't deserve a pay-off
- Welcome to Soviet Britain: The towns where half the population relies on the state for a job
- Massive explosion on industrial estate where 'The Office' TV comedy was set
- Boy, 11, killed after being hit TWICE in hit and run smash
- Police shoot man dead after stand-off at 'Omen' cathedral
- The NHS nurse who was paid £100,000 in one year
- The sea turns red as 150 whales are battered to death against rocks in mass stranding off Australian coast
- No.10 hints at review of police powers as Sir Ian Blair's replacement faces calls to quit
- Tacky Christmas! Parents' anger and children's tears at Lapland theme park which turned out to be a muddy field
- Three fire engines turn up to rescue Santa's hat from 'impossible to climb' university spire after student prank
- Pictured: Motorist's lucky escape after teenage yobs drop concrete block on car
- Cheating wife in arranged marriage 'lures her husband to his death in hotel room with her lover'
- MAIL COMMENT: Is the Home Secretary really telling us the full truth?
- Amateur footballer 'killed after fight with opposition players'
- Fairway to heaven: Hit some golfing highs at the loftiest resort around
- Pensioner killed by his own car after thief repeatedly drove over him as he blocked path
- Now Britain is leading the world... in promiscuity
- MOST READ IN DETAIL
Ken, what an ignorant comment. I hardly think that 150 whales already have "something wrong with them already". We need to learn more about helping these animals. Thank goodness for the efforts of these wonderful caring individuals, without whom, our already shrinking animal life would be even closer to ending.
- Nic, sydney, australia, 01/12/2008 16:05