Dolphins die after beach stranding
Forty dolphins have died after stranding themselves on a remote beach in Western Australia, officials said today.
The state’s Department of Conservation and Land Management said it was unclear what had caused the mammals to beach themselves on Friday over an 18 mile stretch of coastline in D'Entrecasteaux National Park, 195 miles south of Perth.
Jean Stewart, a spokeswoman at the department, said the striped dolphins were weighed, measured and had tissue samples taken and their sex determined. Their bodies would not be buried.
“Unfortunately we can’t do anything about the remains and carcasses because (the area) is so inaccessible,” she said.
Park officer David Meehan said it was rare to see such a large stranding of striped dolphins, which are deep water mammals that are rarely spotted close to shore.
“They may wash up in ones or twos but nothing of this magnitude,” he said.
