Australia: death of one of two sperm whales stranded at a port in Tasmania

AFP - One of two sperm whales stranded on a sandbar in a port of the Australian island of Tasmania died overnight, said Tuesday authorities, who had announced the day before the death of twenty of these stranded mammals during the weekend.

Twenty-six whales were stranded Saturday night on the northwest coast of Tasmania. Twenty-two sperm whales, 12 meters long and weighing over two tonnes, had died on a beach near Strahan. Two minke whales (minke whales) were also killed nearby.

Finally, four sperm whales were stranded on a sandbank in Macquarie Harbour near Strahan. Two were released and were left out to sea, but the other two were still prisoners, despite the relief operations.

"We have a whale is still alive, but the other died during the night," he told AFP a door-talk services Parks and Wildlife in the area.

Rescue teams are working to release the animal since the lifting of the day, but weather very bad, discontinued operations, she added.

"We will monitor the animal throughout the day to make sure it is OK and we look at the weather forecast to make a decision tomorrow," she added.

The whale strandings are relatively common in Australia, particularly around Tasmania, but scientists struggle to find explanations for this phenomenon.