Authorities in Australia are euthanizing nearly 90 false killer whales that had survived a mass stranding on a beach in Tasmania. A team of experts assessed the situation and concluded that the whales had to be euthanized because complex conditions had made it impossible to save them.
The stranded whales are part of a pod of nearly 157 that had beached near Arthur River in the island’s northwest region. The rest of the whales died shortly after the initial stranding.
The Australian island state of Tasmania has experienced a series of mass whale strandings in recent years. More than 80 percent of whale strandings in Australia occur in Tasmania, and in 2020, the region experienced its worst stranding as 470 pilot whales died at Macquarie Harbour. However, false killer whales had not been stranded on the island in over 50 years.
The euthanized stranded killer whales in Australia are technically dolphins
Much like the Orca, false killer whales are technically one of the world’s largest dolphin species, as they can grow up to 6m (19 feet) and weigh nearly 1.5 tonnes.
Australian authorities also announced that the whale pod had been stranded at the site for one or two days, and the surviving specimens were in dire condition. The site is extremely remote. The closest city, Launceston, is 300 km (186 miles) away, making it very difficult for rescue teams and marine biologists to reach the area. This distance was crucial in making it impossible for rescuers to return the animals to the sea. A team of rescuers made an effort to relocate and refloat two of the whales, but they were ultimately unsuccessful.
In a statement to the BBC, Shelley Graham, from Tasmania’s Parks and Wildlife Service said, “The animals just can’t get past the break to get out. They just keep turning around and coming back towards the beach.”
Australian authorities are euthanising about 90 false killer whales that survived a mass stranding.
More than 150 whales got stranded on a remote beach in Tasmania. pic.twitter.com/6va6l0JbeG
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) February 19, 2025
The conditions for the next two days remained similar, so expert Australian wildlife veterinarians made the ultimate decision to euthanize the surviving stranded whales.
Authorities are still working on ways to dispose of the carcasses
Experts who were at the site and monitored the situation explained that the longer the whales were stranded, the more the animals suffered. When all other options for rescue failed, euthanasia was the last resort.
Watch as more than 150 false killer whales wash up on a beach in Tasmania, Australia. Rescue crews are trying to save the majority of the large dolphins, which resemble killer whales, that survived the ordeal pic.twitter.com/2S5DyMACZu
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 19, 2025
The site is an important cultural heritage for Aboriginal people, and thus, it further complicates the disposal of the whale carcasses. A department spokesperson said earlier that, “it may be a case of… letting nature run its course”.