Australia : The incident occurred near Arthur River, which is located on the northwest coast of Tasmania and is about 400 kilometers from Hobart. According to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania, the whales were beached 24 to 48 hours ago. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service’s Brendan Clark says returning the whales back to sea can be challenging and dangerous, as it is difficult to get the equipment needed for rescue operations to the coastal area. The “false color whale” is actually a type of marine dolphin, which can be up to 6.1 meters (20 feet) long and weigh up to 3 metric tons (6,600 pounds). Local resident Jocelyn Flint said her son saw the whales on the beach, and they were all writhing in the sand, especially the smaller whales. This is the first time since 1974 that such a large number of false color whales have been beached in Tasmania. According to experts, such incidents can occur as a result of marine animals becoming confused, sick, injured or trying to escape from predators. Officials have urged the public not to touch the dead whales, as all whale species are legally protected in Australia.
