'Social nature' may have contributed to whale stranding

Pilot whales’ highly social “follow-the-leader” nature could have contributed to a beach stranding in Tasmania in which 34 of the species died. The group, including small calves, was discovered earlier this week at Bryans Beach on the state’s east coast not far from tourist hotspot Wineglass Bay. Staff from Tasmania’s department of natural resources and environment are sampling and measuring the carcasses. Almost 400 pilot whales died in a mass stranding, one of the largest recorded globally, at Macquarie Heads on Tasmania’s remote west coast in 2020. In September last year, more than 200 pilot whales beached in the same area. EXPLORE: Why is mass whale stranding a problem? What effects could this have on the ocean ecosystem? Source: extract from article by Ethan James