Tasmanian devils see tragedy as opportunity

Circle of life continues on Tasmania’s West Coast despite human distress. The latest on the stranded whale operations in Macquarie Harbour >>

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THE sight of hundreds of dead whales on the sand in and around Strahan’s Macquarie Harbour last month distressed viewers in the West Coast town, around Tasmania, and Australia and the world.

But there were some local inhabitants who saw the stranding and death of the long-finned pilot whales as an opportunity for an easy seaside feed.

This photograph of a Tasmanian devil about to sniff out the carcass of one of the 30 or so whales which washed up on Ocean Beach was taken by a Department of Primary Industry, Parks, Water and Environment member who was part of a massive rescue and disposal mission.

Tasmanian devil and a stranded whale carcass on Tasmania's west coast. Picture: Shelley Graham

In total, more than 100 of the 470 whales which stranded on sandbars at Macquarie Heads and further up the harbour were saved by rescuers.

And the disposal mission of those which could not be saved is now almost complete.

The carcasses of 55 long finned pilot whales were towed from Macquarie Harbour out to sea and released in open water on the weekend.

A whale lays on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania on September 25, 2020, as Australian rescuers were forced to begin euthanising some surviving whales from a mass stranding that has already killed 380 members of the giant pod. (Photo by Mell CHUN / AFP)

Twenty nine deceased whales near Braddon Point on Ocean Beach have been buried, with machinery brought in for the purpose on Monday.

The remaining dead whales scattered along lower visitation areas of the coastline will be allowed to decompose naturally.

Macquarie Harbour will continue to be monitored for any other whale carcasses.