Hundreds of long-finned pilot whales die

Hundreds of long-finned pilot whales die

Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Conservation

In news

• Over 450 long-finned pilot whales have died in Australia’s largest recorded mass-stranding event. 
• The whales were beached at a remote beach in Tasmania’s west coast.

Important value additions

Beaching 

• It refers to the phenomenon of dolphins and whales stranding themselves on beaches.
• There are around 2,000 strandings each year worldwide, with most resulting in the death of the animal.
• Whales strand themselves on beaches either singularly or in groups. 
• While individual strandings are mostly attributed to injury or sickness, it is not clear why exactly whales beach themselves in groups.

Long-finned pilot whales

• Scientific Name: Globicephala melas
• These are one of two species of pilot whale, along with short-finned pilot whales.
• These prefer deep temperate to subpolar oceanic waters.
• They have been known to occur in coastal waters in some areas.
• They have been documented near the Antarctic sea ice and associated with the colder Benguela and Humboldt Currents, which may extend their normal range.
• Protection Status: (1) CITES: Appendix II; (2) IUCN: Least Concern