Nearly 500 pilot dolphins were found dead and stranded

Unknown catastrophe. about 500 dolphinsThe pilots died in the remote Chatham Archipelago, in New ZealandThe government announced on Tuesday. Two “big schools” of cetaceans ran aground, and so were the survivors Euthanized, said the Ministry of Conservation. About 250 experimental dolphins were found stuck on Friday on Chatham Island, the largest island in this archipelago, and about 240 dolphins on Pete 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 these islands, where sharks inhabit their waters. “For fear of shark attack on humans and cetaceans, the remaining experimental dolphins were killed by our team to spare them further suffering,” said Dave Lundquist, the government’s marine technical advisor. “A decision like this is never taken lightly, but in cases like this it is the easiest option,” he added. The bodies will be left at the site.

Unfortunately the usual threads

These strands are no stranger to the Chatham Archipelago, with the largest dating back to 1918, when a thousand pilot dolphins perished. A little 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 swerve behind a sick member of the herd. Bad weather or the presence of predators can also force them to change course. According to official figures, about 300 pilot dolphins are stranded in New Zealand every 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 are involved.