Hundreds of stranded cetaceans
(MWN / 28-12-09) Thousand of mammals have died this year in Australia and New Zealand and, the previous weekend, more than a hundred whales known as black dolphin or pilot whales were stranded in the beaches of the two main islands of New Zealand, as reported by the New Zealand Ministry of Natural Resources.
The ministry, quoted by the Australian newspaper Sydney Morning Herald, reported on Saturday that 105 pilot whales stranded on a beach in the north cape of South Island, and all the animals died.
A similar situation happened in the North Island, where last Sunday fishermen saw three pilot whales near the coast at 6.00 pm local time (13.00 GMT). In all, 63 pilot whales were stranded; most of them were pregnant females and lactating.
About 300 people, including tourists and locals organized a rescue operation to help the animals to return to the sea. So, they managed to save the lives of 42 black dolphins, and a baby was born just during the rescue operation.
The pilot whales or black dolphins (Globicephala) are mammals of the order of cetaceans and are noted for their deep black. They are big sized Delphinidae, some of them may be up to 8.5 meters long. Their average weight is 800 kg, but there are animals of over two tons. Several species of pilot whales live both in warm tropical seas, as in Northern Europe.
Scientists do not know the reason why some species of whales end their days on the beaches; they keep the option of that they attend the coast confused by sonar of large vessels or maybe they follow a leader ill and disoriented.
