14 sperm whales found dead after being stranded in Tasmania

Australian biologists and veterinarians were mobilized on Wednesday September 21 to find the reason behind the stranding of 14 sperm whales on a beach in Tasmania. The mammals were found dead on King Island, on the island’s northern shores, on Monday. They were probably stranded there on Sunday, according to experts dispatched to the scene. No other sperm whales have been identified in the area, according to aerial surveys.

It can be a “misadventure”says a biologist from the Tasmanian conservation agency, interviewed by the local newspaper Mercury. “[C’est] the most common reason for strandings, he details. They may have been looking for food near the shore, (…) they may have been caught at low tide. That’s the theory for now.”

In 2020, Tasmania experienced its worst marine stranding, when 470 whales were stranded in the west of the state. More than 300 pilot whales were then, despite the efforts of a dozen volunteers who tried for several days to free them. Some experts believe these mammals may have gotten lost after feeding near the shore, or following a stray whale or two.