At least 135 short-finned pilot whales died Friday after a mass beaching in Australia as rescuers worked to herd those still alive back out to sea. The stranding of 150 whales at Hamelin Bay, some 315 kilometres south of Perth, was spotted by a commercial fisherman at daybreak, with fears the carcasses will attract sharks. Short-finned pilot whales inhabit tropical and subtropical waters and are often seen in the hundreds and when they beach, it is usually en masse. The reason why mass stranding occurs is still unknown. The largest mass stranding in Australia’s west was at Dunsborough in 1996 when 320 long-finned pilot whales came ashore.

Source: Dhaka Tribune March 23, 2018 05:03 UTC