Over 50 Pilot Whales Die In Indonesia From Being Stranded In Shallow Waters - Authorities

At least 52 short-finned pilot whales got stranded in shallow waters and died off Indonesia's East Java province, with only three members of the group surviving the dangerous trek, the Indonesian Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry said on Friday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th February, 2021) At least 52 short-finned pilot whales got stranded in shallow waters and died off Indonesia's East Java province, with only three members of the group surviving the dangerous trek, the Indonesian Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry said on Friday.

Earlier in the day, videos and pictures of a large group of whales lying on the coast of Java's western Bangkalan region were shared on social media.

"We suspect that there was one whale in the group that was injured or ill which led the rest of the colony to follow and protect it but eventually found themselves stranded. That led to the 52 dead whales," ministry spokesperson Wahyu Muryadi said, as quoted by Indonesian news agency Tempo.

According to the report, only three members of the group have survived the shallow waters.

Pilot whales belong to the family of oceanic dolphins, but their behavior is considered more typical of larger whales.