Some 230 whales beached in Tasmania; rescue efforts underway

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

HOBART, Australia (AP) — About 230 whales have been stranded on Tasmania’s west coast, just days after 14 sperm whales were found beached on an island off the southeastern coast.

The pod stranded on Ocean Beach appears to be pilot whales and at least half are presumed to still be alive, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania said Wednesday.

A team from the Marine Conservation Program was assembling whale rescue gear and heading to the area, the department said.

A resident told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that the whales were visible near the entrance to Macquarie Harbour and described the stranding as a “massive event.”



In this image made from a video, a rescuer pours water on one of stranded whales on Ocean Beach, near Strahan, Australia Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022. More than 200 whales have been stranded on Tasmania’s west coast, just days after 14 sperm whales were found beached on an island off the southeastern coast. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation via AP)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/science-australia-whales-tasmania-climate-and-environment-c941a1e849d8e7332eaa9cf334304938?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=TopNews&utm_campaign=position_9

[hamsterjill]

1. Horrific.

So very sad.

[Bayard]

2. Tragic that half are already gone

I really hope they can save the rest.

[ratchiweenie]

3. Why aren't there dozens of people down there pouring water on them to keep them hydrated?

[forgotmylogin]

4. (Total side tangent) Was Hideo Kojima a prophet?

A few years ago he released a video game called "Death Stranding" which is titled after sea creatures washing up and becoming stranded on the beach to die, but it's a metaphor for the entire world which is hunkered down due to rain that causes people to age rapidly and (among other things) fetuses in wearable backpacks that are a bridge between the world of the living and the dead.

The part that's eerily prescient (this came out before the pandemic) - the player plays a delivery person carrying important and non-important deliveries people want across this landscape. Essentially an apocalyptic Amazon delivery person.