Graphic content: Why whales, sharks and dolphins are getting stranded on NSW beaches

What’s with the over-whale-ming number of marine creatures washing ashore on our coastline this season? We spoke with an expert to find out. WARNING: graphic content.

Within days of each other, the Mid North Coast saw two separate whales stranded on our beaches.

In mid-July, a four-metre juvenile humpback whale found itself stranded at Nambucca Heads – and less than a fortnight later, another infant calf had to be euthanised after becoming trapped on Port Macquarie’s Oxley Beach.

It comes after a trio of rare beaked whales washed ashore on Rocky Beach, Port Macquarie, back in January – and only a month after that, another beaked whale was found stranded off Swansea, at the mouth of Lake Macquarie.

So what’s going on? We spoke with Jools Farrell, who is the vice president of the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA), to find out.

What’s causing these creatures to become stranded?

She says there’s a range of factors at play, but one of them is the current state of the ocean.

“ORRCA is attributing it to the big seas we’ve had recently,” Ms Farrell explained.

“When we look back at the strandings we’ve attended throughout the year, we have noticed that the weather has been bad at the time.”

Ms Farrell said in almost every case, the creatures have become trapped due to rough weather, but there is still a bit of mystery surrounding some of the strandings.

“We had two neonates strand in the area – one in Port Macquarie and one further north – and they were only about two weeks old, still dependent on their mum,” she explained.

“The whale migration seems to be starting earlier and earlier each year, and we’re thinking that maybe that change in pattern is leading to the mums giving birth too early.

“Normally the whales would go up to Queensland for the warmer waters to give birth, but these instances suggest maybe they were born too far south and couldn’t cope with the amount of travel.”

Three rare beaked whales became stranded on Port Macquarie shores in January, at which time ORRCA and NPWS attended the scene to retrieve the bodies. Picture: NPWS

Unfortunately, recent necropsy examinations haven’t given away much information either.

“They haven’t really found anything obvious, and nothing sinister like a gutful of plastic or anything,” Ms Farrell said.

“Some have shown that there might’ve been strike from a ship, for example if there jaw has been broken – but these tests aren’t done every single time an animal strands.

“They often do toxicology reports too, which can take a while, and we don’t always find out the end result.”

Rising ocean temperatures

Ms Farrell says climate change could be playing a part in this altered migration pattern, but this isn’t a definite.

“The ocean is warming, so maybe that could be why the whales are migrating earlier,” she said.

“But also, the population of the humpback is increasing every year, by about 10-12 per cent – so the more whales that are migrating, sadly, the more we will get stranding and passing away.”

But it’s not just whales showing up unexpectedly on local beaches.

“This year, we saw two whale shark strandings further up the coast,” Ms Farrell said.

“We’ve also had dolphins stranding, quite a lot of large turtles too – especially the leatherbacks – as well as stingrays.

“ORRCA is only licenced to handle whales, seals, dolphins and dugongs, but sometimes members of the public might not be sure how to identify the animal so we’re more than happy for you to call us if you see any marine creature in trouble.

“We work with and refer to other groups where needed, so definitely give us a call.”

What does a marine animal rescue look like?

When a call comes through to the volunteer-run hotline, the ORRCA team jumps into action.

“We get the details of the rescue, including the location and photos, then put the call out to the local ORRCA members in the area,” Ms Farrell explained.

“If it’s a live stranding, it’s all hands on deck immediately, with as many volunteers as possible.

“We also notify the National Parks and Wildlife Service if it’s a live beaching.

“We do everything we can for the animal, but sadly not every job is successful.”

Ms Farrell says it’s especially difficult to save whales and dolphins once they’ve washed ashore.

“The thing is, these creatures usually strand for a reason,” she said.

“Either their sick or old, there’s been a misadventure, or a predator has caused them to strand.

“In those cases, where the animal is deceased, it’s still all hands on deck.

“In that instance our members will work to keep the public away from the creature, because these animals can carry diseases so you shouldn’t touch them without proper PPE.”

How can you help in marine creature rescues?

Ms Farrell says the public plays a vital role in ORRCA’s rescues.

“If you see an animal that you think might be entangled, it’s really important to call it in,” she said.

“If possible, take photos so we know what we’re looking for, and track down your GPS coordinates.

“Even if you’re on the shore and you see a creature thrashing about, acting strange, let us know – we’d rather get a false alarm call than have an animal in distress and left there.”

You can reach ORRCA at any time – the hotline is open all day, every day – on 02 9415 3333.

For those wanting to do more, you can join ORRCA and get involved with their upcoming training workshops – there will be 11 sessions along the coast from October to April.