Listen: Macquarie University marine researcher Dr Vanessa Pirotta discusses the mass beaching of pilot whales in Tasmania
By Hope 103.2Tuesday 22 Sep 2020Hope MorningsNewsReading Time: 1 minute
While it’s distressing to hear of hundreds of pilot whales beached on Tasmania’s west coast, it’s not the first time this has happened. Regardless, the scale of this event is still very hard to get your head around.
At last count, 90 out of the 270 whales were feared dead.
Speaking to Hope 103.2, Macquarie University marine researcher Dr Vanessa Pirotta helps unpack the situation, including why the whales became stranded in the first place, the rescue efforts for the remaining whales and the chances of success.
![Macquarie University marine researcher Dr Vanessa Pirotta](https://hope1032.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/87750782_883555008749349_7419516404241530880_o-300x238.jpg)
Source: Dr Vanessa Pirotta Facebook
“It was reported only yesterday, in fact,” Dr Pirotta said.
“It was a sudden thing that came about and people were basically trying to scramble to see how many animals there were so it went from 70 to, now, what is believed to be over 250.
“You can spend a huge amount of effort rescuing [individual whales] and then in some cases they simply turn around and re-strand.”
Listen to the full interview in the player above.