Teams composed of the Sri Lankan navy, coast guard, and volunteers rescued 120 stranded pilot whales from Nov. 2 to Nov. 3 in the South Asian country’s biggest mass stranding, according to officials.
Teams composed of the Sri Lankan navy, coast guard, and volunteers rescued 120 stranded pilot whales from Nov. 2 to Nov. 3 in the South Asian country’s biggest mass stranding, according to officials.
According to Navy Spokesman Indika de Silva, sailors and local volunteers pulled back at least 120 whales in an overnight rescue operation in Panadura Beach, 25 kilometers south of Colombo.
“We used our small inshore patrol craft to pull the whales one by one back into deeper waters,” de Silva told AFP news.
De Silva also said that two whales have died due to the injuries they sustained when they were beached.
The Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) of Sri Lanka confirmed that it was the largest single pod of whales stranded in the country.
“It is very unusual for such a large number to reach our shores,” MEPA Chief Dharshani Lahandapura told AFP news.
Lahandapura also said that the cause of the stranding is unknown and that the incident is similar to the mass stranding in Tasmania last September where only 110 out of the 470 stranded pilot whales were saved after days of rescue efforts.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States Department of Commerce, short-finned pilot whales are found in tropical and temperate oceans, live in stable groups of 15 to 30 animals, and are highly social.
