A Scramble To Save Stranded Whales and Dolphins

On Sunday night, more than 100 volunteers and rescuers scrambled to try save the lives of 194 whales and half a dozen dolphins that became stranded on the Naracoopa beach at King Island, in Australia's Southern State of Tasmania.

When the rescue efforts began, 54 of the whales and seven dolphins were still alive. As rescuers tried to pull the animals back in the water, using jet-skis and small boats, local residents dug water tunnels, doused them with water and covered them with cold sheets to try keep them cool.

By Monday, they had managed to return 48 of the animals back to sea, and are hoping that they will stay there, and continue on their migration path.

While nobody is sure why so many of the animals were stranded, one of the theories is that they may have been caught by really low tides. Though Whale strandings happen in this area occasionally, during the annual migration, back and from the Antarctica waters - lately, the numbers have been unusually high.

In November 2008, about 150 long-finned pilot whales died after becoming stranded on a sandbar. In January this year, 45 sperm whales met a similar fate.

We hope scientists will be able to solve the mystery soon, for we cannot afford to lose so many of these gorgeous animals like this.

Source: dailymail.co.uk, msn.com,chinaview.cn