Pilot whale pod of washes up on Western Australian beach as locals try desperately to save them up to 70 stranded creatures
A pod of pilot whales wash up on Western Australian beaches as locals scramble to save up to 70 stranded creatures
- Large pod of whales stranded on a WA beach
- Spotted for the first time off the coast earlier today
A large group of pilot whales has stranded on a beach in Western Australia.
As many as 70 of the whales were spotted Tuesday morning in a tightly packed group about 100 meters off Cheynes Beach, about 70 km north-east of Albany in Western Australia.
Unfortunately, there are now dozens of them on the beach and locals have rushed to the bay to try and save them.
Horrifying footage has revealed a group of about 60-70 pilot whales stranded on Cheynes Beach (pictured), about 70km north-east of Albany, Western Australia
The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) has warned the public not to get too close to the whales
“The group of about 60-70 long-finned pilot whales has begun to beach on Cheynes Beach,” the DBCA confirmed.
“DBCA leads a response and manages the incident.”
While the department acknowledged extensive offers to free the whales from the beach, safety remained their priority.
“We understand the public’s concerns at this time and appreciate volunteers’ offers of support,” the message reads.
“However, the safety of the public and the whales is our number one priority, so we are asking the public not to approach the beach.”
The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions has urged the public to steer clear of the beach as they develop a plan to save the stranded whales
The pod of whales washed ashore at Cheynes Beach, in southern Western Australia
The group of pilot whales is photographed on drone images before they are put on the beach
The department had issued a valuable warning not to approach the pod “via drones or ships” when they were still just offshore.
DBCA agents were on the beach all day monitoring “the behavior and movements of the pod” until they beached.
Speak against The Westlocal caravan park owner Joanne Marsh first spotted the pod around dusk on Monday night and described their movements as “totally strange.”
According to the Bureau of Meteorology’s tide tables, the whales are currently on the beach at low tide and the next high tide comes in just before 5 a.m. on Wednesday.
Those who may wish to assist in returning the whales to the water are urged to register with DBCA Albany on (08) 9842 4500.