270 pilot whales stranded off the coast of Tasmania, immediate relief

- However twenty-five fish died

McVeira (Tasmania) Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Immediate relief work was launched by marine biologists following reports of 270 whales of the pilot species being stranded off the coast of Macquarie Harbor in the Tasmania region of Australia. Earlier, however, Pachisek had died on the spot.

An estimated 70 pilot whales were trapped, according to aerial surveillance. However, it was later realized that 270 pilot whales were stranded on the shallow shores of Macquarie Harbor.

The area is located 200 kilometers northwest of Hobart, the capital of Tasmania State. Nick Deva, regional director of the Tasmania Park and Wildlife Service, said such incidents are frequent. Every two to three weeks we get a phone call about what happened. But for the first time such a large number of pilot whales were trapped. Earlier in 2009, a large number of pilot whales were trapped in this way.

One hundred pilot whales died when such an incident occurred in New Zealand in 2018. The pilot whale is a species of marine dolphin. These fish weigh up to three tons (about three thousand kilograms) and are often less than 23 feet long. These fish mostly move in groups and follow their leader. If one mate is injured, all the fish surround him so that no other aquatic animal can swallow the injured fish.

Nick Deva said that usually such a large number of fish are not caught. If a fish is caught, it sends a signal to its mates. Then when other fish come to rescue it, sometimes all the fish get trapped.