“Following expert veterinary assessment we have made the decision to euthanise the animals,” incident controller Shelley Graham told reporters.<\/p>\n
“That’s likely to be the course of action for all 90.”<\/p>\n
They appeared to be members of a large dolphin species known as false killer whales, officials said, named for the orca-like shape of their skull.<\/p>\n
Efforts to refloat the dolphins \u2013 which can weigh upwards of one tonne \u2013 had fallen short and were unlikely to succeed, said biologist Kris Carlyon.<\/p>\n
“This is possibly the trickiest location I’ve seen in 16 years of doing this in Tasmania. It is extremely remote, extremely difficult to get access.<\/p>\n
“We’ve given it a good crack this morning, but we are running out of options for a successful refloat.”<\/p>\n
Dozens of sleek and dark-skinned dolphins were pictured Tuesday wallowing in wet sand as a shallow tide lapped against them.<\/p>\n
“Euthanasia of an animal this size, it’s not a simple exercise,” said Carlyon.<\/p>\n
It is reasonably common for pods of false killer whales to strand themselves on Australia’s beaches.<\/p>\n
But officials said it was the first time in 50 years they had beached in that part of Tasmania.<\/p>\n
“Often we don’t get to the bottom of the ultimate cause,” said Carlyon.<\/p>\n
“They have really strong social bonds. One disoriented individual can drag the rest of them ashore.”<\/p>\n
Poorly understood<\/h2>\n
The dolphins were stranded on a beach near the Arthur River inlet on the west coast of Tasmania, a sparsely populated area known for its windswept coastline.<\/p>\n “The moment a whale or dolphin strands, the clock of survival starts ticking,” said marine scientist Vanessa Pirotta.<\/p>\n “We don’t yet understand why whales and dolphins strand.<\/p>\n “Tasmania has proven to be a hotspot location for seeing mass strandings like this. Perhaps it’s the geographical location \u2013 which makes it difficult to navigate around.”<\/p>\n False killer whales can reach up to six metres (20 feet) in length and are known as a highly social species that gathers in pods of 50 or more.<\/p>\n Big adults can weigh more than one tonne, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.<\/p>\n The species is often involved in mass strandings that can “wipe out whole schools involving hundreds of animals”, according to the Australian Museum.<\/p>\n Little is known about false killer whales, according to a government factsheet, and there are no reliable estimates of their population size.<\/p>\n The Australian government lists their conservation status as “near threatened”.<\/p>\n This article<\/a> by Agence France-Presse was published by Science Alert on 20 February 2025. Lead Image: Some of the 157 dolphins stranded on a Tasmanian beach. (Handout\/Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania\/AFP). Help to protect wildlife by making a monthly donation of as little as $1.<\/p>\n Your donation will support vital conservation projects<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n<\/i><\/p>\nWhat you can do<\/h2>\n