Posted on 01/24/2009 4:15:29 PM PST by BuckeyeTexan
Only two sperm whales out of a pod of 50 are believed to be alive after a mass stranding off Tasmania's north-west tip.
The whales grounded at Perkins Island, near the mouth of the Duck River at Smithton on Thursday night.
Police were notified about 8.30pm (ADST) but were unable to get close to the whales due to the location and the tide.
The area is only accessible by boat.
Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Services spokeswoman Liz Wren said a helicopter flew over the island on Friday morning to assess the situation.
"It's going to be difficult to get to them because they are big animals, up to 18 metres for males, that makes it very difficult, and they are actually located on an island off the coast," Ms Wren told AAP.
Conservation experts are discussing the best way of approaching the situation.
Although the helicopter could not get close to the whales, it appeared only two were alive, she said.
More than 150 whales died in a mass beaching at Sandy Cape, also in the state's remote north-west, in November last year.
0bama’s fault!
What a pity. Sperms are beautiful animals.
I saw a pod of them several years ago while fishing in the Sea of Cortez down in Baja. It was very cool. They swam by our boat about 100 feet away. My bet is that they were their to eat their favorite food - squid, which is plentiful in the area. Well, if they decide to get rid of the dead ones the Oregon way, they are going to need allot of dynamite.
I guess they didn’t get the news that Obama is now President.
“0bama’s fault!”
No way man.
It’s got to be Bush and man made global warming.
turn that blubber into bio diesel...
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