MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Rescuers save some 100 pilot whales stranded in a Sri Lanka southwest beach

Despite the fact this was the island nation’s biggest ever beaching event, the vast majority of the animals were rescued with only two believed to have died

Over 100 pilot whales have been saved after being stranded on Sri Lanka’s southwest coast. A combination of the country's navy and volunteers worked together on an overnight operation to push the whales back out to sea in Panadura, Sri Lanka.

Despite the fact this was the island nation’s biggest ever beaching event, the vast majority of the animals were rescued with only two believed to have died on the beach.

“We used our small inshore patrol craft to pull the whales one by one back into deeper waters. Sadly, two whales have died of the injuries sustained when they beached,” navy spokesperson Indika de Silva said.

Local villagers joined the rescue mission amid a coronavirus curfew in the area, all to save the stranded whales.

Although strandings are relatively common, scientists are still unsure as to why they happen. If they aren’t assisted back into the water, many whales die of dehydration, collapsing under their own weight, or drown when the high tide covers up their blowhole.

The Panadura incident has been confirmed as the largest single pod of whales stranded in the south Asian country by Sri Lanka’s Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA).

“It is very unusual for such a large number to reach our shores,” MEPA chief, Dharshani Lahandapura said,

Pilot whales can grow up to 6 meters long and weigh a ton. They are highly social animals. The short-finned species, such as those in Sri Lanka, have been nicknamed “cheetahs of the deep sea” for their deep, high-speed, sprint-dives to chase and capture large squid, according to Whale and Dolphin Conservation.

Apart from the threat of beaching, pilot whales also face challenges due to human activity. From becoming entangled in fishing gear, to hunting in areas like Japan, short-finned pilot whales often find themselves in jeopardy. They can also become victims of vessel strikes, which injure or kill them. Scarred short-finned pilot whales have been observed in Hawaiian waters, according to the US National Marine Fisheries Service.

While pilot whales are not on the endangered list, other species such as blue whales are. Whales are at the top of the food chain and play an important role in the overall health of the marine environment, which is why it remains so important to protect them.