Fourteen whales recently washed up dead on the shores of King Island — an Australian island north of Tasmania,TheGuardianreported.
According toNPR, experts will perform necropsies on the marine mammals to define the cause of death, authorities also plan on conducting an aerial survey of King Island and the surrounding waters to check for other whales in the area.
The 14 sperm whales found dead on King Island all appear to be male, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania said in a statement toThe Guardian.
“It is possible the whales were part of the same bachelor pod,” a department spokesperson told the outlet, explaining that these pods are developed when younger male whales leave their maternal groups.
Wildlife scientist Dr. Vanessa Pirotta toldBBC, “All whale strandings remain a mystery.” She added, “We don’t exactly know why they happen.”
According to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania"swebsite, mass strandings from whales and dolphins occur regularly in Tasmania. “The Marine Conservation Program continues to respond to these events, on average, once every two to three weeks,” the website detailed.
“As such, the MCP is in a unique position to refine rescue procedures and work towards an increased understanding of why these events occur,” the department added. “A response may involve the rescue of live whales or dolphins at a mass stranding, or it may be to gather as much information as possible from a single dead animal in order to understand the patterns and processes that drive stranding events.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The public on King Island is encouraged to keep their distance and not interfere with the deceased beached whales, the department toldThe Guardian.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
source: people.com
