<p>A massive sperm whale that had stranded off&nbsp;a popular beach near Perth, Western Australia, died Tuesday (Dec 12).&nbsp;The 15-metre&nbsp;(49-feet) long whale died&nbsp;after it swam off the sandbank into open water.</p>

<p>“It was moving pretty gingerly and swam only 200 or 300 meters before it really seemed to sort of stop. Its respiration gave us some signs that it really was coming to the end,” said Mark Cugley, Incident Controller from the Parks and Wildlife Service.</p>

<p>Earlier, authorities in Australia were preparing for its&nbsp;euthanisation.</p>

<p>On Saturday, drone footage showed the whale swimming dangerously close to the shore. Later, it was seen resting on the sandbar of the beach, displaying limited movement.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Massive whale emerges close to the shore in Australia<br />
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📹 Ori Weiser<br />
<a href="https://t.co/EseDJma0KH">pic.twitter.com/EseDJma0KH</a></p>
— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) <a href="https://twitter.com/gunsnrosesgirl3/status/1734100051612311659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>Experts had warned that the mammal could be at risk of stranding as this kind of behaviour was “unusual and perilous.”</p>

<h2><strong>Two-thirds of whale’s body rested on sandbank</strong></h2>

<p>Mark Cugley told media that the whale’s tail was free but two-thirds of its body rested on the sandbank.</p>

<p>The beach was closed for swimmers and a shark warning was also issued for the area even though no sharks were spotted yet.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/scientists-may-finally-know-why-dead-grey-whales-washing-up-on-us-coast-648582"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;Scientists may finally know why dead grey whales are washing up on US Coast</strong></a></p>

<p>“It’s not really got that energy that you would expect from a healthy animal, so I’d say it’s resting, and I think at the moment it’s protecting one side of itself from any predators, positioning itself in a way that we might expect in an animal who’s not well and needs to rest,” Cugley was quoted as saying by The West Australian last weekend.</p>

<p>“At times, it became grounded on shallow sand bars, and it would swim off again, then it would get grounded again, so it’s concerning, and that’s why we need to fully assess its health,” he had added.</p>

<h2><strong>Whale seemed&nbsp;to be stressed out</strong></h2>

<p>The official added that the whale was stressed as it exhibited a higher respiration rate.&nbsp;</p>

<p>To keep the animal safe, wet and comfortable, authorities said they kept pouring water on it.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Whales help store planet-heating carbon emissions</strong></p>

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<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


A massive sperm whale that had stranded off a popular beach near Perth, Western Australia, died Tuesday (Dec 12). The 15-metre (49-feet) long whale died after it swam off the sandbank into open water.

A massive sperm whale that had stranded off a popular beach near Perth, Western Australia, died Tuesday (Dec 12). The 15-metre (49-feet) long whale died after it swam off the sandbank into open water. “It was moving pretty gingerly and swam only 200 or 300 meters before it really seemed to sort of stop. Its respiration gave us some signs that it really was coming to the end,” said Mark Cugley, Incident Controller from the Parks and Wildlife Service. Earlier, authorities in Australia were preparing for its euthanisation. On Saturday, drone footage showed the whale swimming dangerously close to the shore. Later, it was seen resting on the sandbar of the beach, displaying limited movement. Massive whale emerges close to the shore in Australia 📹 Ori Weiser pic.twitter.com/EseDJma0KH — Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) December 11, 2023 × Experts had warned that the mammal could be at risk of stranding as this kind of behaviour was “unusual and perilous.” Two-thirds of whale’s body rested on sandbank Mark Cugley told media that the whale’s tail was free but two-thirds of its body rested on the sandbank. The beach was closed for swimmers and a shark warning was also issued for the area even though no sharks were spotted yet. Also read: Scientists may finally know why dead grey whales are washing up on US Coast “It’s not really got that energy that you would expect from a healthy animal, so I’d say it’s resting, and I think at the moment it’s protecting one side of itself from any predators, positioning itself in a way that we might expect in an animal who’s not well and needs to rest,” Cugley was quoted as saying by The West Australian last weekend. “At times, it became grounded on shallow sand bars, and it would swim off again, then it would get grounded again, so it’s concerning, and that’s why we need to fully assess its health,” he had added. Whale seemed to be stressed out The official added that the whale was stressed as it exhibited a higher respiration rate. To keep the animal safe, wet and comfortable, authorities said they kept pouring water on it. Watch: Whales help store planet-heating carbon emissions × (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: Massive sperm whale that was stranded off Perth coast has died

More than a dozen pilot whales have died and many others remain stranded near a narrow sand spit at the northern tip of New Zealand's South Island despite efforts to move them out to sea, authorities said on Tuesday (February 23).

Volunteers try to help stranded whales off New Zealand's South Island

<p>Sri&nbsp;Lanka's navy and volunteers rescued 120 pilot whales stranded in the country's biggest mass beaching, but at least two injured animals were found dead, officials said.</p>

<p>Sailors from the navy and the coastguard along with local volunteers pushed back at least 120 whales by dawn Tuesday after a gruelling overnight rescue, navy spokesman Indika de Silva said.</p>

<p>The school of short-finned pilot whales washed ashore at Panadura, 25 kilometres (15 miles) south of Colombo, since Monday afternoon in the biggest-ever mass stranding of whales on the island.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/final-whale-saved-from-grim-australia-mass-stranding-330674">Final whale saved from grim Australia mass stranding</a></strong></p>

<p>"We used our small inshore patrol craft to pull the whales one by one back into deeper waters," de Silva told AFP. "Sadly, two whales have died of the injuries sustained when they beached."</p>

<p>Sri&nbsp;Lanka's Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) confirmed that Panadura saw the largest single pod of whales stranded in the South Asian country.</p>

<p>"It is very unusual for such a large number to reach our shores," MEPA chief Dharshani Lahandapura told AFP, adding that the cause of the stranding was not known.</p>

<p>"We think this is similar to the mass stranding in Tasmania in September."</p>

<p>Pilot whales, which can grow up to six metres (20 feet) long and weigh a tonne, are highly social.</p>

<p>The phenomenon of whales getting stranded in shallow water remains largely a mystery to scientists.</p>

<p>In September, several hundred whales died in shallows off the coast of Australia in its biggest stranding on record and one of the largest in the world.</p>


Sri Lanka's navy and volunteers rescued 120 pilot whales stranded in the country's biggest mass beaching, but at least two injured animals were found dead, officials said.

Sri Lanka's navy and volunteers rescued 120 pilot whales stranded in the country's biggest mass beaching, but at least two injured animals were found dead, officials said. Sailors from the navy and the coastguard along with local volunteers pushed back at least 120 whales by dawn Tuesday after a gruelling overnight rescue, navy spokesman Indika de Silva said. The school of short-finned pilot whales washed ashore at Panadura, 25 kilometres (15 miles) south of Colombo, since Monday afternoon in the biggest-ever mass stranding of whales on the island. Also read: Final whale saved from grim Australia mass stranding "We used our small inshore patrol craft to pull the whales one by one back into deeper waters," de Silva told AFP. "Sadly, two whales have died of the injuries sustained when they beached." Sri Lanka's Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) confirmed that Panadura saw the largest single pod of whales stranded in the South Asian country. "It is very unusual for such a large number to reach our shores," MEPA chief Dharshani Lahandapura told AFP, adding that the cause of the stranding was not known. "We think this is similar to the mass stranding in Tasmania in September." Pilot whales, which can grow up to six metres (20 feet) long and weigh a tonne, are highly social. The phenomenon of whales getting stranded in shallow water remains largely a mystery to scientists. In September, several hundred whales died in shallows off the coast of Australia in its biggest stranding on record and one of the largest in the world.

Sri Lanka rescues 120 whales after mass stranding

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