A total of 12 sperm whales were found on an island off Australia’s southeast coast.
According to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of the state, the carcasses of 14 young males were found on Monday afternoon at King Island in Tasmania’s Bass Strait.
Images showed the whales lying flat on their backs in shallow water near the rocky shores of the island.
Wildlife authorities are looking into the cause and stranding of this death.
A spokesperson for the department said that it was possible that the whales were part the same bachelor pod, which is a group of young male sperm whales who bonded together after they left the maternal group.
Swimmers and surfers are advised to avoid the area as dead whales could attract sharks.
According to the department, it is not uncommon for sperm whales in Tasmania. They also stated that the area where they were found was within their usual range and habitat.
To determine if there are other whales in this area, an aerial survey will be conducted.
Two years ago, the largest recorded mass stranding in Australia was when approximately 470 long-finned pilot whales were discovered beached off Tasmania’s east coast .
After a week-long effort, 111 of the whales were saved, but the rest perished.
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