MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Tasmania claims the lives of 150 stranded pilot whales

The rugged coast of western Tasmania in Australia claimed the lives of another 150 whales at the weekend when they stranded themselves on craggy rocks near Sandy Cape. The long-finned pilot whales were spotted on Saturday morning and were already badly injured by the time rescue crews and locals reached them.

The state government said the number of long-finned pilot whales that had perished had climbed to 150 after a body count on Sunday, almost double the earlier estimate of 80. Rescuers managed to shepherd a small number back to the ocean. A spokeswoman for the Department of Primary Industries and Water Wildlife and Conservation, Rosemary Gales, said the treacherous coast made a rescue difficult "because of the physical beating they take from stranding on rocks and surf, compared to sandy beach strandings, animals die much more quickly," she said. Warwick Brennan from the Department of Primary Industries and Water was quoted in Australian media said rescuers in a boat managed to steer about 30 whales out of the bay. Pilot whales are among the smaller whales, typically up to about 5 meters in length and dark with a grey underbelly. Last week, 64 long-finned pilot whales were stranded at Anthony's Beach on Tasmania's north-west coast. Eleven of those whales were rescued and returned to sea. Mass stranding of whales occur periodically in Australia and New Zealand for reasons that are not entirely understood. It is thought the deep-water whales become stranded after their navigational skills go awry in coastal shallows