230 whales stranded in Australia and only half can survive. Watch the video!

Residents threw blankets at the survivors and used buckets of water to keep them alive, while others tried unsuccessfully to free themselves. In the same area, many were dead.

Authorities announced that marine conservation experts and personnel with whale rescue equipment were on their way to the site.

They will try to return those that are strong enough to survive to the water and will probably tow the dead animals out to sea to avoid attracting sharks to the area.

Almost two years ago, the same region was the scene of another mass stranding, with almost 500 whales.piloto, of which only 100 survived.

The causes of mass strandings are not completely understood.

Scientists suggest they may be caused by stray groups that veer off course after feeding too close to shore.

The whales-pilotThey are very sociable and tend to follow their groupmates into dangerous situations.

It sometimes happens when elderly, sick or injured whales swim to shore and other members of the pod follow them in an attempt to respond to the stranded whale's distress signals.

Others become confused and believe they are in the open sea when they hear high-frequency sonar, when in fact they are on steep beaches, as happens in the case of whales stranded in Tasmania.

This week 14 dead young male sperm whales were also found stranded on a remote beach on King Island, on the north coast of Tasmania.

The death of the cetaceans could be a case of “misfortune”, wildlife biologist Kris Carlyon, from the government's environmental agency, told local newspaper the Mercury.

“The most common cause for these events is a misadventure, they may have gone for food close to the coast, they may have found food and possibly got stuck at low tide,” explained Carlyon.

“That’s the theory at the moment,” he added.

New Zealand also records strandings relatively frequently.

In the country, almost 300 animals are found stranded per year on average, according to official figures. It is not uncommon to see groups of 20 to 50 whales.piloto stranded on a beach.

But numbers can reach hundreds, as in 2017, when around 700 whales were stranded.

(with AFP)

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