In Australia, 157 orcas have stranded themselves on shore, and scientists are struggling to determine the cause.

In Australia, 157 orcas were stranded en masse on the shore. Local residents attempted to rescue the still-living cetaceans but were unsuccessful. This was reported by the publication AA.

According to media reports, Australian authorities announced on February 19 that over 150 orcas had ended up on a beach in the northwest of Tasmania.

Local officials stated that efforts to save 90 of the animals were futile, leading to the decision to euthanize them.

A team of marine biologists and veterinarians arrived at the scene in the morning. Specialists tried to return several animals to the water, but, as stated by Shelley Graham, a representative of the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, these attempts were fruitless. Consequently, authorities concluded that the only humane option was to euthanize the surviving animals.

Initially, local residents reported the stranded orcas to the authorities. Experts estimate that this is the first case of mass orca deaths in the last fifty years. Preliminary information suggests that the animals may have been on the shore for 24 to 48 hours.

The reasons for such behavior among the orcas remain unknown. To search for other stranded animals, authorities deployed helicopters. However, according to Clark, no new cases were found within 10 kilometers of the incident site.

It is worth noting that an orca that lost her calf traveled about 1,600 kilometers while carrying it on her head, until she was ultimately unable to let it go. It is known that the "tour of grief" lasted for 17 days.