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Tragic Incident: Dozens of Whales Stranded on Western Australian Coast Result in High Mortality

In a heartbreaking turn of events, numerous pods of whales have washed up on the shore of the Western Australian coast, leading to the death of many of these magnificent creatures. Wildlife experts, including marine scientists, wildlife officers, and veterinarians, have been working tirelessly to rescue the stranded pilot whales at Toby Inlet in Geographe Bay.

The incident occurred near the popular tourist destination of Dunsborough, where four pods comprising approximately 160 pilot whales were found scattered along a 500-meter stretch of the beach. Despite the valiant efforts of the rescue teams, over 100 of the beached whales managed to return to the sea, but sadly, 31 whales perished.


Ian Wiese, who witnessed the scene, described the initial situation with around 160 whales partially out of the water, and hundreds of people working tirelessly to ensure their well-being. He expressed amazement that the rest of the whales were able to make their way back to the sea after an hour.


While there is a possibility that the whales may decide to return to the shore or nearby beaches, experts remain hopeful that they will continue their journey at sea. The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions confirmed the rescue efforts and provided updates, stating that 28 stranded whales had lost their lives. A spotter plane was deployed to locate the pod that had swum out to sea, and so far, there have been no further sightings, raising optimism that they will not return to shallower waters.


Unfortunately, this is not the first incident of its kind in Western Australia. Last year, 51 pilot whales died after approximately 100 washed ashore on Cheynes Beach. In 1996, the region witnessed its largest whale stranding event when 320 pilot whales were involved in a mass stranding in Dunsborough.


Pilot whales, known for their strong social bonds, often experience "social stranding" where one stranded whale leads others in the group to follow, resulting in large-scale beachings. The University of Western Australia highlights this characteristic behavior of pilot whales and emphasizes the challenges faced in such events.


This tragic event serves as a reminder of the vulnerability of these marine creatures and the importance of conservation efforts to protect their natural habitats.


悲慘事件:數十條鯨魚滯留在澳洲西部海岸,大量死亡


令人心碎的消息傳來,數十條鯨魚在澳洲西部海岸擱淺,造成許多這些壯觀生物的死亡。野生動物專家,包括海洋科學家、野生動物官員和獸醫師,正不遺餘力地拯救擱淺在Geographe Bay Toby Inlet的受困抹香鯨。


這一事件發生在熱門旅遊勝地Dunsborough附近的一個海灘上,四個鯨群共約160條抹香鯨分佈在沿海岸500米的範圍內。儘管救援隊伍做出了英勇努力,超過100條擱淺的鯨魚成功返回大海,但不幸的是,31條鯨魚死亡。


目擊者Ian Wiese描述當時的情景,大約160條鯨魚有一部分身體露出水面,數百人不知疲倦地工作,確保它們的安危。令人驚奇的是,在一個小時後,餘下的鯨魚成功返回大海。


雖然這些鯨魚有可能決定返回海岸或附近的海灘,但專家們仍然希望牠們能夠繼續在海洋中航行。澳洲生物多樣性、保育和旅遊局證實了救援行動並提供了最新消息,表示28條擱淺的鯨魚不幸喪生。一架巡邏飛機已經部署,以尋找游向海中的鯨群,目前還沒有進一步的目擊報告,這讓人樂觀地認為牠們不會返回較淺的水域。


不幸的是,這並不是西澳大利亞地區首次發生這樣的事件。去年,在Cheynes Beach,約100條鯨魚擱淺,其中51條抹香鯨死亡。在1996年,該地區發生了最大規模的鯨魚擱淺事件,涉及320條抹香鯨在Dunsborough擱淺。


抹香鯨以其強大的社交聯繫而聞名,往往會出現“社交擱淺”現象,其中一條擱淺的鯨魚會引導其他同伴跟隨,從而導致大規模的擱淺事件。西澳大利亞大學強調了抹香鯨這種特有的行為,並強調在此類事件中所面臨的挑戰。


這一悲劇性事件提醒我們鯨魚這些海洋生物的脆弱性,以及保護其自然棲息地的重要性。

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