This part of the island is known as a ‘whale trap’ but using technology to prevent the events may interfere with the natural cycle
A gruesome task remains for a rescue team responding to– the gathering up and towing of about 200 huge carcasses out to the deep ocean.
Tasmania is known to be a hotspot for strandings of cetaceans – whales and dolphins – and the area near Strahan’s Macquarie Harbour is particularly known for pilot whale strandings. Dr Kris Carlyon, a wildlife biologist at the state’s marine conservation program, has been on the scene this week, as he was two years ago.
“What ties pilot whales together is that they have strong social bonds that last almost a lifetime with other whales in their group,” she said. “It’s an incredibly strong bond and if you have one lost or debilitated animal, there’s a risk others will try to help.” “We need to remember: mass strandings are a natural phenomenon, but that is not to say there are not times when strandings occur that are human induced,” she said.Carlyon said the state’s marine conservation program had considered potential approaches to prevent strandings in the future, including using underwater sound or developing an early warning system.
She said in some places around the world, underwater acoustic monitoring is used to alert authorities to times when marine mammals are in coastal waters.
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