More than 150 fake killer whales have been washed away on Australia’s Tasmania coast, with none of them expected to survive, officials said.
The 157 whales were found on a remote beach near the Arthur River on Tasmania’s northwest coast Tuesday afternoon. By Wednesday afternoon, only 90 people appeared to be still alive, the Associated Press reported, citing the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Tasmania.
Officials said rescue operations were hampered by poor conditions and similar weather was expected for at least the next two days.
“We went out into the water this morning and tried to rebuilt two whales, but were not successful because the marine condition did not allow the animals to pass through the rest.” statement. “Animals drag constantly.”
The remaining live whales are expected to be euthanized.
“The longer these animals are separated, the more they suffer,” said Chris Carrion, a marine biologist and assistant case controller, in a statement. “All alternative options have failed. Euthanasia is always a last resort.”
The animals resemble killer whales, but are actually large members of the dolphin family. According to the National Marine and Atmospheric Administration, fake killer whales weigh up to 3,000 pounds and generally live in deep oceans in tropical and subtropical oceans.
The reason for the beach on Tuesday is unknown. They were the first fake killer whales since 1974 to be stuck in Tasmania where Beeching normally includes pilot whales.
In 2022, about 200 of the 230 pilot whales died after further scattering on the west coast of Tasmania at Macquarie Port.
Macquarie Harbor was also the worst major supervisor location in Australia’s history in 2020, with fewer than 100 of the 470 people stranded in Sandbar and survived.
Beaching can occur for a variety of reasons, including navigation errors, illness, old age, injuries, bad weather, hunting too close to the coast.
