All the same, as far as I understood, this is not yet fully understood phenomenon - why whales and dolphins are thrown ashore. We have already discussed various versions with you, but the conclusion so far is that there is no single proven theory.
And here's another case …
About 150 round-headed whales washed ashore in Hamlin Bay in western Australia. At least half of them are dead, the rest cannot budge and reach the saving water. The authorities closed the beaches due to the danger of meeting with sharks: marine predators are attracted by the remains of dying animals. The reason for the incident is still unknown.
About 150 round-headed whales for some unknown reason washed ashore in Hamlin Bay in western Australia. As local residents say, having come ashore, they were shocked by the picture that opened before them. At first they thought that all the animals were dead, but then they noticed that about half of them were desperately trying to get back into the sea, but to no avail: large stones and bodies of dead relatives interfered with them. The local population could only watch the death of animals in despair.
A large number of carcasses of round-headed whales attract predators. Local authorities have issued a decree prohibiting swimming in the place of a massive release of whales: sharks may appear at any moment, attracted by the smell of game.
Rescuers who arrived began to pull the whales out of the death trap and send them back to sea, but many of them died anyway without waiting for help.
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The round-headed whale weighs about 4 tons, so the work of the rescuers was very difficult. During the day of work, they managed to use a crane to lift only six surviving animals and release them back into the sea.
Local residents came to the aid of the rescuers, pouring water on the still living whales so that they would not die. Local resident Liarne Hallwood was one of the first to come to the aid of the animals. “When I went ashore, I thought they were all dead,” she says. - But then I realized that many are still alive and simply cannot get back into the water. It was unbearable to look at their suffering and not help them."
The reason why the huge herd of whales washed ashore is still unknown. However, experts believe that the reason was the mistake of the leader, who paved the way for the herd to the sea. The herd usually follows the leader in search of warmer water, but if the alpha male strays off course, the herd can easily run aground. This is not the first time of its kind in Australia: in the same way, here in Hamlin Bay, a herd of 80 whales washed ashore in 2009, and three years ago two dozen whales landed on the shore in Bunberry, in southwestern Australia. At that time, all the animals died, no one was saved.
In anticipation of an invasion of whale meat sharks, Western Australia has issued an executive order prohibiting swimming in Hamlin Bay and nearby beaches.
According to rescuers, the operation to release the whales back into the sea is complicated not only by the size and weight of the animals, but by the windy rainy weather on the west coast of Australia. How many whales will be rescued is not yet clear. Local residents, wearing life jackets, help the rescuers with might and main, pouring water on the whales and hoping for a better outcome.