On February 18, 2025, 157 false killer whales were discovered stranded on a beach on an island south of Melbourne, Australia.
Despite their name, false killer whales are a species of oceanic dolphin and are usually found in tropical oceans, living in deep and offshore waters. According to Fisheries.gov, these dolphins grow to 16 to 20 feet long, and adults can weigh up to 3,000 pounds. They are an endangered species with a steadily decreasing population size.
The marine mammals were marooned on a remote beach island north of Tasmania. The group of stranded dolphins, consisting of adults and calves, were buried halfway into the sand and trapped in shallow waters. Although two attempts were made to rescue the distressed creatures, the weather conditions and the isolated location made it impossible. The next day, only 90 of the false killer whales survived.
On Wednesday, the 19th, experts came to an arduous decision to euthanize the remaining 90 dolphins to minimize their suffering as much as possible. CNN.com states that false killer whales can only survive on land for six hours before deterioration occurs.
Unfortunately, this is not the first case of beached dolphins and whales. NPR.org states that in 2020, 470 long-finned pilot whales were found stuck on sandbars in the same harbor as the 157 false killer whales, and the majority died. In 2024, 140 dolphins were stranded in Cape Cod; luckily, over 100 survived, according to Guardian.com, along with many more documented cases.
Scientists still don’t know why this is happening, and further investigations are being held to discover and stop these strange phenomena from continuing. Although the exact cause is unknown, a few reasons are circulating among wildlife experts, including disorientation caused by loud noises, illness, old age, fleeing predators, and severe weather.
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/false-killer-whale
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/19/g-s1-49629/killer-whales-stranded-australia-tasmania
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/18/australia/150-whales-stranded-tasmania-intl-latam/index.html
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/28/cape-cod-whale-turtle-dolphin-strandings
