Pod of almost 100 whales gathered in a heart shape before tragedy struck

About 100 whales gathered together off the coast of West Australia to form a beautiful picture. The exact location was some distance from Cheynes Beach in southern WA. The incident took place on July 25^th. WA’s Parks and Wildlife Services posted the pod of whales’ images on Facebook, alongside an explanation of the phenomenon.

The report stated that the DBCA Parks and Wildlife Service Albany Districts had first received reports describing an unusual grouping of whales. When they arrived, they discovered them to be long-finned pilot whales. The officers from the DBCA took pictures where the pod can be seen creating the shape of a heart inside the water. Officers were posted to observe the movements and behavior of the pod.

The Pod Of Whales Ran Into A Tragic Incident

The authorities even issued a formal request to the public to maintain their distance. They also told the public to not use vessels or drones to approach the pod. However, the scene was not meant to last. Tragically, the giant pod of whales began to get stranded on the nearby beach. The officers immediately started to manage the occurrence as efficiently as possible. They even received help from multiple volunteers.

Experts on marine fauna, as well as veterinarians from Perth Zoo, arrived at the scene to study the pod of whales. Dr. Vanessa Pirotta, a marine biologist, explained that even if the pod of whales presented an amazing sight, the experts had very little idea behind their intentional stranding. She explained that this was the first time she had seen anything like this. Pilot whales live mostly offshore and are extremely social. But such a large gathering is extremely rare.

The teams that responded to the emergency were equipped with slings, vessels, and other specialized equipment. However, even with their best efforts, a later update reported that 51 whales lost their lives overnight while being stranded.

However, the efforts did not go all to waste. The post further read: “Parks and Wildlife Service personnel are working in partnership with registered volunteers and other organisations to try to return the remaining 46 whales to deeper water during the course of the day. Thanks so much for the messages of support. The Parks and Wildlife Service has been overwhelmed with hundreds of offers of help to rescue the stranded whales, and we now have enough registered volunteers.”

The Effort Was Successful In The End

The authorities continued to ask the public to maintain distance from the beach to keep everyone safe. They explained that the Incident Management Team was focusing on ensuring that the volunteers, staff, and the whales are safe. As such, the zone involved dangers such as distressed, large, and probably sick whales, sharks, heavy machinery, vessels, and waves.

Another later update appreciated the help of the 100 staff and 250 volunteers from the various agencies including the Parks and Wildlife services for the help. As such, the team’s combined efforts throughout the day managed to ensure the survival of 45 members of the pod of whales. Dr. Pirotta did offer a few possible theories behind the gathering and stranding. She theorized that the whales may have gathered around a single sick member at first. However, navigational problems or nearby orcas may have forced the pod of whales to get lost.