What is Australian "whale stranding" and why does it occur?

About 90 false killer whales that survived a mass stranding on a remote Tasmanian beach will be killed, Australian authorities announced last week after experts said the ill-fated animals’ complex conditions would make saving them impossible.

Why whales get stranded, why do they?. What does it mean?

When whales become stranded on land, usually a beach is said to be as Whale stranding. We know that other marine animals, such as porpoises and dolphins, can beach. Most stranding involve single animals, but sometimes hundreds of marine animals.

How could stranding of whales be caused by human activity?

Experts say that as the ocean continues to be stressed by human activity, mass stranding may be occurring more frequently. Experts believe that one of the biggest causes of mass stranding is increased noise pollution in the ocean.

Whales and other marine animals rely on sound to navigate, find food and defend themselves. Noise from large commercial ships, military sonars and offshore drilling can scare them, confuse them or deafen them so they come ashore, according to several studies.

Another possible factor is warming seas that change the distribution of prey and predators and draw whales nearer the coast.

Are mass stranding preventable?

It’s very difficult to prevent them. There’s also no easy fix because strandings happen for a variety of reasons. But “taking more care of our actions in the ocean to try and minimise human activities which might impact marine life” may help reduce the chances.