Whales euthanised after second beaching in WA

Forty-five pilot whales that survived a mass stranding on Western Australia’s south coast on Tuesday have been euthanised after they beached themselves a second time.

Pilot whales gathering before scores were stranded at Cheynes Beach near Albany in Western Australia. Picture: WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions

Forty-five pilot whales that survived a mass stranding on Western Australia’s south coast on Tuesday have been euthanised after they beached themselves a second time.

More than 90 long-finned pilot whales died within 24 hours at Cheynes Beach, 60km east of the port town of Albany.

The pod was seen in a cluster almost stationary about 150m from shore on Tuesday then, one at a time, they turned for shore. The WA Parks and Wildlife Service said 51 whales died on Tuesday night. However, there were high hopes for 45 whales still alive on Wednesday morning.

Throughout the day, 250 volunteers worked under the instructions of the Parks and Wildlife Service to move the 45 remaining whales back into the water. There was optimism by the afternoon as volunteers stood around the whales in chest-high water. The plan was to wait until they seemed strong enough, then release them and usher them out of the bay.

Incident controller Peter Hartley said at the time the events had been stressful for everyone involved and the rescue team was optimistic.

“We are optimistic, we have got to be optimistic … you have got to have something to hold on to,” Mr Hartley said.

It was during an attempt to gently herd the whales out to sea that they turned back. All 45 whales restranded themselves further down the beach at about 6.30pm AEST on Wednesday.

A weary Mr Hartley broke the news to those following the rescue on social media. As night fell on Wednesday, he said volunteers had been sent home and the Parks and Wildlife Service was withdrawing resources.

Veterinarians from Perth Zoo and from private practices were on the scene assessing the condition of each whale.

“They will come up with a recommendation and it will largely be based on the welfare of the animal,” Mr Hartley said.

A few hours later the department announced:

“Sadly, the decision had to be made to euthanise the remaining whales to avoid prolonging their suffering”.

“It was a difficult decision for all involved, however the welfare of the whales had to take precedence. We thank everyone who assisted with the attempt to save the whales over the last two days,” the department said in a written post on social media.