Rescuers hope to save nearly 200 whales stuck in a remote Australian harbour, and to prevent the toll of 90 dead -- as of Tuesday -- from rising further.

They have so far managed to free "a small number" of the stranded mammals.

Scientists said two large pods of long-finned pilot whales became stuck on sandbars in Macquarie Harbour, on Tasmania's rugged and sparsely populated west coast.

About 60 people -- including volunteers and local fish-farm workers -- then got involved in the rescue attempt. They waded in the water to reach the whales to refloat them in deeper passages.

Though mass whale strandings occur relatively often in Tasmania, such a large group has not been seen in the area for more than a decade.

The animals are only accessible by boat, limiting the number of rescuers who can reach them. They are battling chilly and rainy conditions as well as the harbour's unusual tides, which are dictated by barometric pressure.

Most of a 30-strong group on a nearby beach&nbsp;were found dead Monday, while about 60 other whales on the sandbars are also believed to have since died.

Once the whales are returned to deeper water, rescuers said, the biggest challenge will be herding the social creatures out of the sandbar-riddled harbour and back into the open ocean.

Scientists said it was unclear what caused the latest stranding.

Rescuers hope to save nearly 200 whales stuck in a remote Australian harbour, and to prevent the toll of 90 dead -- as of Tuesday -- from rising further. They have so far managed to free "a small number" of the stranded mammals.

Rescuers hope to save nearly 200 whales stuck in a remote Australian harbour, and to prevent the toll of 90 dead -- as of Tuesday -- from rising further. They have so far managed to free "a small number" of the stranded mammals. Scientists said two large pods of long-finned pilot whales became stuck on sandbars in Macquarie Harbour, on Tasmania's rugged and sparsely populated west coast. About 60 people -- including volunteers and local fish-farm workers -- then got involved in the rescue attempt. They waded in the water to reach the whales to refloat them in deeper passages. Though mass whale strandings occur relatively often in Tasmania, such a large group has not been seen in the area for more than a decade. The animals are only accessible by boat, limiting the number of rescuers who can reach them. They are battling chilly and rainy conditions as well as the harbour's unusual tides, which are dictated by barometric pressure. Most of a 30-strong group on a nearby beach were found dead Monday, while about 60 other whales on the sandbars are also believed to have since died. Once the whales are returned to deeper water, rescuers said, the biggest challenge will be herding the social creatures out of the sandbar-riddled harbour and back into the open ocean. Scientists said it was unclear what caused the latest stranding.

Rescuers' race against time to save 180 stranded whales in Australia

Rescuers had set free at least 25 whales marooned on a sandbar off the remote west coast of the Australian island of Tasmania by late Tuesday (September 22), with hopes to refloat hundreds more within days and end one of the country's worst beaching events.

Australian rescuers save around 25 whales stranded on sandbar

Two former captive beluga whales, Little Grey and Little White, were successfully released into the world's first open water sea sanctuary for beluga whales in Iceland on Friday (August 7).

Beluga whales released into world's first open sea sanctuary

Activists from the Sea Shepherd conservation organization on Friday (February 21) rescued a Humpback whale that was caught in illegal fishing nets in Mexico's upper Sea of Cortes.

Whale rescued from illegal fishing net in Mexico's Sea of Cortes

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../over-400000-advised-evacuating-as-the-storm- bears-down-on-japan-243089">Japan </a>insisted Friday it no longer hunts endangered sei whales in international waters but faced accusations of still violating a wildlife treaty by allowing commercialisation of meat from past catches.

The standing committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) last October found Japan in breach of the treaty and ordered it to rectify the situation or face trade sanctions.

The elected panel, which handles the treaty's compliance and enforcement, dismissed Japan's claims that the cull since 2002 of some 1,500 North Pacific sei whales was only scientifically motivated.

Instead, it found that the hunt was primarily commercially motivated, and thus constituted international trade in a protected species and a clear violation of the treaty.

Japan told the committee meeting in Geneva on Friday that it no longer permits taking sei whales on the high sea and is therefore in compliance with CITES.

"This matter should be considered closed," a member of the Japanese delegation said, &nbsp;a day before a global conference of all 183 countries that have signed the treaty kicks off in Geneva.

But committee members from a range of countries, including the European Union, Israel, Niger, Peru and the United States, disagreed.

Many voiced outrage&nbsp;at the continued sale of meat and blubber from the whales deemed to have been illegally culled and imported over a 16-year period.

According to conservationists, 1,500 tonnes of meat from 131 sei whales killed in 2018 alone have been commercialised in Japan, and sei whale meat remains widely available in shops and restaurants in the country.

'Truly shocking'&nbsp;

"It is truly shocking," the representative from Niger told the meeting, maintaining that when illegal international trade is detected in other endangered species, such as elephant ivory, the stockpiles are ordered confiscated and destroyed.&nbsp;

The European Union representative agreed, pointing to article 8 of the convention, which he said "requires ... confiscating specimens traded, or in this case introduced from the sea, in violation of CITES."

Japan meanwhile stressed that it had immediately followed the committee's October ruling, but baulked at the idea it should be applied retroactively.

In the end, the committee ordered Japan to report back on its use of the sei whale stockpiles, but put off the thorny discussion on confiscation until next year.

While Japan remains bound by CITES &nbsp;international wildlife trade restrictions, it has withdrawn from the International Whaling Commission (IWC), enabling it last month to resume commercial whaling in its territorial waters for the first time in decades.

It has allotted itself a hunting quota of 227 of the giant sea mammals this year, including 25 sei whales.

Japan insisted Friday it no longer hunts endangered sei whales in international waters but faced accusations of still violating a wildlife treaty by allowing commercialisation of meat from past catches.

Japan insisted Friday it no longer hunts endangered sei whales in international waters but faced accusations of still violating a wildlife treaty by allowing commercialisation of meat from past catches. The standing committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) last October found Japan in breach of the treaty and ordered it to rectify the situation or face trade sanctions. The elected panel, which handles the treaty's compliance and enforcement, dismissed Japan's claims that the cull since 2002 of some 1,500 North Pacific sei whales was only scientifically motivated. Instead, it found that the hunt was primarily commercially motivated, and thus constituted international trade in a protected species and a clear violation of the treaty. Japan told the committee meeting in Geneva on Friday that it no longer permits taking sei whales on the high sea and is therefore in compliance with CITES. "This matter should be considered closed," a member of the Japanese delegation said, a day before a global conference of all 183 countries that have signed the treaty kicks off in Geneva. But committee members from a range of countries, including the European Union, Israel, Niger, Peru and the United States, disagreed. Many voiced outrage at the continued sale of meat and blubber from the whales deemed to have been illegally culled and imported over a 16-year period. According to conservationists, 1,500 tonnes of meat from 131 sei whales killed in 2018 alone have been commercialised in Japan, and sei whale meat remains widely available in shops and restaurants in the country. 'Truly shocking' "It is truly shocking," the representative from Niger told the meeting, maintaining that when illegal international trade is detected in other endangered species, such as elephant ivory, the stockpiles are ordered confiscated and destroyed. The European Union representative agreed, pointing to article 8 of the convention, which he said "requires ... confiscating specimens traded, or in this case introduced from the sea, in violation of CITES." Japan meanwhile stressed that it had immediately followed the committee's October ruling, but baulked at the idea it should be applied retroactively. In the end, the committee ordered Japan to report back on its use of the sei whale stockpiles, but put off the thorny discussion on confiscation until next year. While Japan remains bound by CITES international wildlife trade restrictions, it has withdrawn from the International Whaling Commission (IWC), enabling it last month to resume commercial whaling in its territorial waters for the first time in decades. It has allotted itself a hunting quota of 227 of the giant sea mammals this year, including 25 sei whales.

Japan under pressure over past hunting of endangered whales

Japan will resume whaling after a 30-year break despite the international backlash. Watch this video to know more.

Japan to hunt whales again from July

Gray whale deaths in US west coast may be linked to Arctic warmth

Scientists have long known that some beaked <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/sharp-rise-in-whale-dolphin-stranding-deaths-in-india-91">whales beach themselves and die in agony</a> after exposure to naval sonar, and now they know why: the giant sea mammals suffer decompression sickness, just like scuba divers.

At first blush, the explanation laid out Wednesday by 21 experts in the Royal Society journal Proceedings B seems implausible.

Millions of years of evolution have turned whales into perfectly calibrated diving machines that plunge kilometres (miles) below the surface for hours at a stretch, foraging for food in the inky depths.

The heart rate slows, blood flow is restricted, oxygen is conserved.&nbsp;

So how could the ocean's most accomplished deep-sea diver wind up with nitrogen bubbles poisoning its veins, like a scuba novice rising too quickly to the surface?

Short answer: beaked whales — especially one species known as Cuvier's — get really, really scared.

"In the presence of sonar they are stressed and swim vigorously away from the sound source, changing their diving pattern," lead author Yara Bernaldo de Quiros, a researcher at the Institute of Animal Health at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, told AFP.

"The stress response, in other words, overrides the diving response, which makes the animals accumulate nitrogen," she added. "It's like an adrenalin shot."

One type of sonar in particular throws these whales off balance.

'Atypical' mass strandings 
Developed in the 1950s to detect submarines, mid-frequency active sonar (MFAS) is used today in naval patrols and exercises, especially by the United States and its NATO allies.

Starting around 1960, ships began emitting underwater signals in a range of about 5 kilohertz (kHz).

That is when the mass beaching of beaked whales, especially in the Mediterranean, began.

Between 1960 and 2004, 121 of these so-called "atypical" mass strandings took place, with at least 40 closely linked in time and place with naval activities.

These were not individual strandings of old or sick animals, nor en masse strandings such the one last November in New Zealand, when more than 200 pilot whales beached themselves together.

Rather, a handful or more beaked whales would wash ashore within a day or two, and no more than few dozen kilometres apart. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

The most deadly episode, in 2002, saw 14 stranded over a 36-hour period in the Canary Islands during a NATO naval exercise.

"Within a few hours of the sonar being deployed, the animals started showing up on the beach," Bernaldo de Quiros said.

Outwardly, the whales showed no signs of disease or damage: they had normal body weight, and no skin lesions or infections.

Internally, it was another story. Nitrogen gas bubbles filled the veins, and their brains were ravaged by haemorrhaging.

Autopsies also revealed damage to other organs, as well as to the spinal cord and central nervous system.

Canary Island moratorium 
As with altitude sickness, reactions -- in humans, and probably in whales -- to nitrogen bubbles in the blood vary in type and intensity.

A 2003 study in Nature on the possible link between sonar and whale deaths led to Spain banning such naval exercises around the Canary Islands in 2004.

"Up until then, the Canaries were a hotspot for this kind of 'atypical' strandings," said Bernaldo de Quiros. "Since the moratorium, none have occurred."

The authors called for similar bans to be extended to other regions where at-risk whales are known to congregate.

The Cuvier's grows up to seven metres (23 feet) and dines mainly on deep-water squid and fish. Its upwardly turned mouth gives the impression of a permanent smile.

The whale is listed as "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List of endangered species, and is thought to have a global population of 5,000 to 7,000.&nbsp;

Other threats include ship strikes, ocean pollution and shifting habitats caused by climate change.

Scientists have long known that some beaked whales beach themselves and die in agony after exposure to naval sonar, and now they know why: the giant sea mammals suffer decompression sickness, just like scuba divers.

Scientists have long known that some beaked whales beach themselves and die in agony after exposure to naval sonar, and now they know why: the giant sea mammals suffer decompression sickness, just like scuba divers. At first blush, the explanation laid out Wednesday by 21 experts in the Royal Society journal Proceedings B seems implausible. Millions of years of evolution have turned whales into perfectly calibrated diving machines that plunge kilometres (miles) below the surface for hours at a stretch, foraging for food in the inky depths. The heart rate slows, blood flow is restricted, oxygen is conserved. So how could the ocean's most accomplished deep-sea diver wind up with nitrogen bubbles poisoning its veins, like a scuba novice rising too quickly to the surface? Short answer: beaked whales — especially one species known as Cuvier's — get really, really scared. "In the presence of sonar they are stressed and swim vigorously away from the sound source, changing their diving pattern," lead author Yara Bernaldo de Quiros, a researcher at the Institute of Animal Health at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, told AFP. "The stress response, in other words, overrides the diving response, which makes the animals accumulate nitrogen," she added. "It's like an adrenalin shot." One type of sonar in particular throws these whales off balance. 'Atypical' mass strandings Developed in the 1950s to detect submarines, mid-frequency active sonar (MFAS) is used today in naval patrols and exercises, especially by the United States and its NATO allies. Starting around 1960, ships began emitting underwater signals in a range of about 5 kilohertz (kHz). That is when the mass beaching of beaked whales, especially in the Mediterranean, began. Between 1960 and 2004, 121 of these so-called "atypical" mass strandings took place, with at least 40 closely linked in time and place with naval activities. These were not individual strandings of old or sick animals, nor en masse strandings such the one last November in New Zealand, when more than 200 pilot whales beached themselves together. Rather, a handful or more beaked whales would wash ashore within a day or two, and no more than few dozen kilometres apart. The most deadly episode, in 2002, saw 14 stranded over a 36-hour period in the Canary Islands during a NATO naval exercise. "Within a few hours of the sonar being deployed, the animals started showing up on the beach," Bernaldo de Quiros said. Outwardly, the whales showed no signs of disease or damage: they had normal body weight, and no skin lesions or infections. Internally, it was another story. Nitrogen gas bubbles filled the veins, and their brains were ravaged by haemorrhaging. Autopsies also revealed damage to other organs, as well as to the spinal cord and central nervous system. Canary Island moratorium As with altitude sickness, reactions -- in humans, and probably in whales -- to nitrogen bubbles in the blood vary in type and intensity. A 2003 study in Nature on the possible link between sonar and whale deaths led to Spain banning such naval exercises around the Canary Islands in 2004. "Up until then, the Canaries were a hotspot for this kind of 'atypical' strandings," said Bernaldo de Quiros. "Since the moratorium, none have occurred." The authors called for similar bans to be extended to other regions where at-risk whales are known to congregate. The Cuvier's grows up to seven metres (23 feet) and dines mainly on deep-water squid and fish. Its upwardly turned mouth gives the impression of a permanent smile. The whale is listed as "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List of endangered species, and is thought to have a global population of 5,000 to 7,000. Other threats include ship strikes, ocean pollution and shifting habitats caused by climate change.

Why do whales commit suicide? Answer may be sonar

Up to 145 pilot whales died in a mass stranding on a remote New Zealand island at the weekend, authorities said on Monday.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) said two pods of pilot whales were stranded on a beach on Stewart Island, 30 km (20 miles) south of New Zealand's South Island.

Half of the whales were already dead when they were found by DOC officers, who were notified on Saturday night by a hiker camping in the area.

A decision was made to put the rest of the whales down due to their poor condition and the remote location, DOC Rakiura Operations Manager Ren Leppens said.

"Sadly, the likelihood of being able to successfully refloat the remaining whales was extremely low," said Leppens, who described it as the most humane thing to do.

"However, it's always a heart-breaking decision to make," he said.

New Zealand has one of the world's highest rates of whale strandings, although the precise cause for it is not known.

The DOC said it responds to an average of 85 incidents a year, mostly for single animals.

Many factors could contribute to such whale and dolphin strandings, including sickness, navigational error, geographical features, a rapidly falling tide, being chased by a predator, or extreme weather, the DOC said.

Ten pygmy killer whales were also stranded on Sunday at 90 Mile Beach on the western coast of the North Island. Two have since died and attempts were being made to refloat the rest.

The DOC said the two events were unlikely to be related.

About 300 whales died on a beach at the northwest tip of South Island last year in one of New Zealand's largest recorded mass whale strandings.

Up to 145 pilot whales died in a mass stranding on a remote New Zealand island at the weekend, authorities said on Monday. The Department of Conservation (DOC) said two pods of pilot whales were stranded on a beach on Stewart Island, 30 km (20 miles) south of New Zealand's South Island.

Up to 145 pilot whales died in a mass stranding on a remote New Zealand island at the weekend, authorities said on Monday. The Department of Conservation (DOC) said two pods of pilot whales were stranded on a beach on Stewart Island, 30 km (20 miles) south of New Zealand's South Island. Half of the whales were already dead when they were found by DOC officers, who were notified on Saturday night by a hiker camping in the area. A decision was made to put the rest of the whales down due to their poor condition and the remote location, DOC Rakiura Operations Manager Ren Leppens said. "Sadly, the likelihood of being able to successfully refloat the remaining whales was extremely low," said Leppens, who described it as the most humane thing to do. "However, it's always a heart-breaking decision to make," he said. New Zealand has one of the world's highest rates of whale strandings, although the precise cause for it is not known. The DOC said it responds to an average of 85 incidents a year, mostly for single animals. Many factors could contribute to such whale and dolphin strandings, including sickness, navigational error, geographical features, a rapidly falling tide, being chased by a predator, or extreme weather, the DOC said. Ten pygmy killer whales were also stranded on Sunday at 90 Mile Beach on the western coast of the North Island. Two have since died and attempts were being made to refloat the rest. The DOC said the two events were unlikely to be related. About 300 whales died on a beach at the northwest tip of South Island last year in one of New Zealand's largest recorded mass whale strandings.

Up to 145 whales die after mass stranding in New Zealand

More than 400 whales were stranded on a New Zealand beach Friday, with hundreds already dead as volunteers tried to refloat the survivors, the Department of Conservation said.

Andrew Lamason, spokesman for the department, said it was one of the largest mass beachings recorded in New Zealand, where strandings are relatively common.

Lamason said 416 pilot whales beached themselves overnight at Farewell Spit in the Golden Bay region at the northern tip of South Island.

He said about 70 percent had perished and attempts were underway to get the remaining whales offshore at high tide but the outlook was gloomy.

&quot;With that number dead, you have to assume that the rest are in reasonably poor nick as well,&quot; he told Radio New Zealand.

&quot;So we&#39;re sort of preparing ourselves for a pretty traumatic period ahead.&quot;
<centre><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r6xIK9-K0pc" width="560"></iframe></centre>

&nbsp;

Pilot whales grow up to six metres (20 feet) long and are the most common species of whale in New Zealand waters.

&nbsp;

Farewell Spit, about 150 kilometres (95 miles) west of the tourist town of Nelson, has witnessed at least nine mass strandings of the species in the past decade, although the latest is by far the largest.

&nbsp;

Lamason said the reason the whales beached themselves was unknown but he believed it was partly due to the local geography.

&nbsp;

&quot;If you designed something to catch whales then Golden Bay is probably the perfect design,&quot; he said.

&nbsp;

&quot;Out at Farewell Spit it&#39;s a big massive sweeping hook of sand coming about, the bay is very shallow and once the whales get in there... it&#39;s very difficult to work out which way is out.&quot;

&nbsp;

WION correspondent Sana Khan filed a report on the sharp spike in whale, dolphin deaths. Read it&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/death-in-deep-blue-seas-sharp-spike-in-dolphin-whale-deaths-6663">here</a>.

&nbsp;

(AFP)

&nbsp;

Spokesman for the Department of Conservation said it was one of the largest mass beachings recorded in New Zealand

More than 400 whales were stranded on a New Zealand beach Friday, with hundreds already dead as volunteers tried to refloat the survivors, the Department of Conservation said. Andrew Lamason, spokesman for the department, said it was one of the largest mass beachings recorded in New Zealand, where strandings are relatively common. Lamason said 416 pilot whales beached themselves overnight at Farewell Spit in the Golden Bay region at the northern tip of South Island. He said about 70 percent had perished and attempts were underway to get the remaining whales offshore at high tide but the outlook was gloomy. "With that number dead, you have to assume that the rest are in reasonably poor nick as well," he told Radio New Zealand. "So we're sort of preparing ourselves for a pretty traumatic period ahead." Pilot whales grow up to six metres (20 feet) long and are the most common species of whale in New Zealand waters. Farewell Spit, about 150 kilometres (95 miles) west of the tourist town of Nelson, has witnessed at least nine mass strandings of the species in the past decade, although the latest is by far the largest. Lamason said the reason the whales beached themselves was unknown but he believed it was partly due to the local geography. "If you designed something to catch whales then Golden Bay is probably the perfect design," he said. "Out at Farewell Spit it's a big massive sweeping hook of sand coming about, the bay is very shallow and once the whales get in there... it's very difficult to work out which way is out." WION correspondent Sana Khan filed a report on the sharp spike in whale, dolphin deaths. Read it here. (AFP)

Hundreds of whales wash up dead on New Zealand beach

Some seventy dead whales have been found in southern Chile less than a year after more than 330 whales washed up in a remote Patagonian inlet. 
 
The animals are not of the same species discovered in last December&#39;s die-off, the biggest single event of its kind known to science, the Chilean fisheries service said. 
 
&quot;They are smaller than those we saw last time,&quot; national fisheries director Jose Miguel Burgos said. 
 
Teams will inspect the relatively accessible site in the coming days, focusing on whether humans played a role in the whales&#39; deaths, he added. 
 
The animals died more than two months ago, the authorities said, adding that autopsies will probably still be possible as the cadavers remain intact. 
 
Although determining the cause of last December&#39;s mass beaching presented challenges because of the delicate remains&#39; state of decomposition, scientists pinpointed the most likely culprit as &quot;red tide&quot;, a harmful algal bloom. 
 
(AFP)

The animals are not of the same species discovered in last December's die-off, the biggest single event of its kind known to science

Some seventy dead whales have been found in southern Chile less than a year after more than 330 whales washed up in a remote Patagonian inlet. The animals are not of the same species discovered in last December's die-off, the biggest single event of its kind known to science, the Chilean fisheries service said. "They are smaller than those we saw last time," national fisheries director Jose Miguel Burgos said. Teams will inspect the relatively accessible site in the coming days, focusing on whether humans played a role in the whales' deaths, he added. The animals died more than two months ago, the authorities said, adding that autopsies will probably still be possible as the cadavers remain intact. Although determining the cause of last December's mass beaching presented challenges because of the delicate remains' state of decomposition, scientists pinpointed the most likely culprit as "red tide", a harmful algal bloom. (AFP)

70 dead whales found in southern Chile

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