15 more beached whales die in TN coast

Thoothukudi

Official sources said about 100 whales washed ashore on the 16-kilometre stretch between Alanthalai to Manapad in Tiruchendur coast in Southern District of Tuticorin between Monday night and Tuesday morning.  Of them, 45 whales died yesterday and all the carcasses were buried in the sand after a post-mortem. As many as 36 whales were rescued and let into sea, but however, it was not known how many of them survived.
 
The whales were measuring about four metres in length and weighing 1,000 to 1,500 kilograms.
 
Rescuers were still trying to move some stranded whales from the beach. The whales were believed to have arrived the coast during high tide, only to get struck when the tide rolled out.
 
Marine experts from Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, Ramanathapuram, who were supervising the rescue operation said, while individual whales occasionally beach themselves at various countries every year, it?s unusual for such a large number of the endangered marine mammals to get stuck along the beach simultaneously. Short-finned pilot whales are more susceptible to stranding themselves in large numbers if they are disoriented, they added.