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SCMP’s Asia desk

At least 67 false killer whales have died after a pod of more than 150 became stranded on a remote beach in Australia’s Tasmania state, officials have said.
Tasmania’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment on Wednesday said 157 false killer whales were beached in the past 48 hours near Arthur River on the island’s northwest.
The agency said the remaining creatures had grown increasingly “stressed” and would be euthanised after attempts to refloat them failed.
“Following expert veterinary assessment, we have made the decision to euthanise the animals,” incident controller Shelley Graham told reporters.
“That’s likely to be the course of action for all 90.”
Earlier on Wednesday, state wildlife officer Brendon Clark said efforts were made to save several whales, who like orcas are part of the dolphin family, and can weigh more than one tonne and grow up to six metres. But Clark said the isolated location complicated the rescue and deployment of necessary equipment.

“To try to refloat the animals directly back into that surf would be challenging and then of course that would also present some enormous safety risks for our staff and personnel,” he said.
“We’ve got our experts on site now that are doing … all that they can to determine what methodology will be implemented to try and find a suitable and a humane response to this particular, very challenging incident.”
Clark said a team would conduct postmortem investigations and sample deceased animals to determine the cause of the stranding.
Angus Henderson, a lecturer at the University of Tasmania and an expert in whale ecology, said it was “unusual” to see the mammals in the state’s cool temperate waters as they were common in pelagic waters in the tropics and subtropics.
“The moment a whale or dolphin strands, the clock of survival starts ticking,” marine scientist Vanessa Pirotta said. “We don’t yet understand why whales and dolphins strand.”


While Tasmania has seen a string of whale strandings in recent years, this incident marks the first involving false killer whales since 1974.
In 2020, the largest mass-stranding in Australia’s history was discovered at a harbour in Tasmania, where about 470 long-finned pilot whales got stuck on sandbars.
After a weeklong effort, 111 pilot whales were rescued, but the rest died. In 2022, another 200 pilot whales became stranded in the same spot.
The reasons for the beachings could include disorientation caused by loud noises, illness, old age, injury, fleeing predators and severe weather.
“They have really strong social bonds. One disoriented individual can drag the rest of them ashore,” biologist Kris Carlyon said.
Arthur River local resident Jocelyn Flint said her son found the stranded animals around midnight while fishing for sharks.

“The water was surging right up and they were thrashing. They’re just dying, they’ve sunk down in the sand,” Flint said. “I think it’s too late.”
“There are little babies. Up one end, there’s a lot of big ones. It’s sad,” she added.
Locals and tourists were also told to avoid the area due to bushfires burning on Tasmania’s west coast.
“All whales are protected species, even once deceased, and it is an offence to interfere with a carcass,” the state’s environment department said.
Additional reporting by Associated Press, Agence France-Presse


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An official checks on a stranded false killer while in Tasmania. Photo: Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania/AFP

False killer whales are stranded on a remote beach in Australia’s island state of Tasmania on February 19. Photo: AP

An official checks on a stranded false killer while in Tasmania on February 19. Photo: Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania/AFP

Officials work on a false killer whale stranded on a beach in Tasmania on February 19. Photo: Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania/AFP

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Experts are investigating the cause of the stranding, which is unusual for this species in the region


Experts are investigating the cause of the stranding, which is unusual for this species in the region.


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