Beachings
On 30 July 1986, a pod of 114 false killer whales became stranded at Town Beach, Augusta, in Flinders Bay, Western Australia. In a three day operation, co-ordinated by the Department of Conservation and Land Management, 96 of the whales were carried by volunteers on trucks to more sheltered waters, and then successfully guided out into the bay.
On 2 June 2005, up to 140 (estimates vary) false killer whales were beached at Geographe Bay, Western Australia. The main pod, which had been split into four separate strandings along the length of the coast, was successfully moved back to sea with only one death after the intervention of 1,500 volunteers, coordinated once again by the Department of Conservation and Land Management.
Just prior to sunrise on 30 May 2009, a pod of 55 false killer whales was discovered beached on a sandy beach at Kommetjie in South Africa (latitude 34° 8'3.98"S, longitude 18°19'58.22"E). By 9 a.m. 50 or more volunteers had already arrived to help move the whales into the ocean. Many more volunteers came throughout the day to offer their services. Late morning a decision by the authorities asked all volunteers to stabilize the false killers whales on the beach. No further attempt was made to take the whales into the open sea. At approximately 4 p.m. after considerable debate by all the authorities present, the decision was made to initiate euthanasia by shooting the whales; approximately 44 whales were killed.
Read more about this topic: False Killer Whale