For the first time in 50 years, over 150 orcas have stranded on the shores of Tasmania. What’s happening in this location? (video)

157 cetaceans stranded on the shore at the northwest tip of Tasmania, on a beach near the Arthur River. Due to the beach's remoteness, the discovery of the cetaceans was delayed until the evening of Tuesday, February 1, but scientists believe that the orcas were beached within 24-48 hours, reports IFLScience.

According to experts, at least half of the animals were already dead at the time of the incident, but unfortunately, the remaining survivors will also need to be euthanized. Researchers note that the remote location and harsh environmental conditions complicated the process of removing the whales from the sand.

The stranding of the cetaceans occurred on a beach near a village with a population of only 32 people. Neighboring towns, such as Marrawah, are larger but still lack the appropriate equipment to address the stranding issue. In most cases, onlookers only hinder the rescue operation, prompting the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service to announce that part of the beach and the nearby campsite were closed to the public. Another obstacle has been the active firefighting measures taking place in the area.

Dr. Vanessa Pirrota from Macquarie University stated that she and her colleagues are still unsure why the cetaceans stranded. However, Tasmania has become a site of mass strandings, and scientists have several theories, one of the most convincing being the geographical position of Tasmania, which complicates navigation for the animals. Nonetheless, this is just one of many theories that could explain what is actually happening.

The species of the stranded cetaceans has not yet been confirmed, but Dr. Pirrota believes they are false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens), which are actually a type of dolphin. Researchers note that this species is often confused with orcas due to its skull shape. False killer whales are very social (including with other species) and form large pods, although this is still a lot even by their standards.

It is worth noting that there have been no cases of false killer whale strandings in Tasmania for the last half-century, but other species frequently wash ashore on the island. For example, in 2020, 480 pilot whales stranded, of which only about a hundred were rescued.

Just recently, another pilot whale stranding involved 230 whales, only a few days after 14 sperm whales stranded in the state. At the end of last year, three larger whales stranded on Flinders Island, which is also part of the state.