34 pilot whales, including some calves, have been found dead on Bryans Beach on the Freycinet Peninsula on the East Coast of Tasmania.
Local guide, photographer and conservationist Chris Theobald described the discovery as “confronting” and said he had ‘never seen’ a mass stranding like this in his 17 years of work.
“Confronting scenes today on our Peninsula. An overnight mass stranding of around 30 pilot whales,” he said.
“[Strong] social bonds may lead to a herd following a sick or disorientated pod member into trouble but [this] particular group died fairly quickly, suggesting they all could have been sick.”
“There was no time to save any.”
In a statement to Pulse, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment confirmed that staff were attending the beach following reports of deceased whales.
“Thirty-four deceased pilot whales were found towards the southern end of the peninsula. Staff, including a wildlife veterinarian, are on site today to assess the situation and sample and measure the carcasses,” the spokesperson said.
“It is not known why the whales stranded and is often not possible to determine. Pilot whale strandings are not uncommon in Tasmania.”
They asked members of the public to keep their distance and to report stranded whales or dolphins to the whale hotline on 0427 WHALES (0427 942 537).
The discovery comes after Marine and Safety Tasmania (MAST) earlier this week issued a warning to mariners around the nearby Schouten Passage to watch for a dead whale that had been reported floating in the area.
