Nearly 500 experimental dolphins have been found dead and stranded

The cause of the catastrophe is currently unknown. about 500 dolphins– The pilots perished on the remote archipelago of Chatham, V.I New ZealandThe government announced on Tuesday. Two “large schools” of cetaceans ran aground and so were the survivors Euthanizedsaid the Department of Conservation. About 250 stranded experimental dolphins were found on Friday on Chatham Island, the largest of the archipelago’s islands, and about 240 dolphins on Pitt Island, three days later, according to the same source.

The authorities said that a rescue operation could not be carried out due to the remoteness of the islands, which are infested with sharks. “For fear of shark attack on humans and cetaceans, the surviving experimental dolphins were euthanized by our team to spare them further suffering,” said Dave Lundquist, marine technical advisor to the government. He added, “A decision like this is never taken lightly, but in such cases it is the easiest option.” The bodies will be left at the site.

Unfortunately the usual threads

Such strands are no stranger to the Chatham archipelago, with the largest dating back to 1918, when a thousand pilot dolphins perished. Just over two weeks ago, about 200 pilot dolphins perished on a beach in Tasmania, Australia. Forty-four mammals were released. The causes of these major leads are not fully known.

These pilot whales, which can reach up to six meters in length, can duck right behind a sick member of the herd. Bad weather or the presence of predators can also force them to change their route. According to official figures, about 300 experimental dolphins are stranded in New Zealand each year. It is not uncommon for individual strandings to include groups of 20 to 50 cetaceans, or even hundreds when a large group of mammals is involved.