Post by LSDeep on Mar 3, 2006 20:51:22 GMT -5
ABOUT 40 dolphins have died after beaching themselves on a remote Western Australia beach.
The marine mammals were spotted early this morning on a 30km stretch of coastline between Black Point and the mouth of the Warren River in Dentrecasteaux National Park, south-west of Pemberton.
Officers from the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) were called to the site after a dolphin was found stranded at Black Point.
A spotter aircraft then found up to 40 more dolphins, all of which appeared to be dead.
Donnelly district manager John Gillard said CALM officers had taken samples from the dolphins for laboratory testing.
"We don't know what caused the stranding at this stage," he said.
"Hopefully we can discover something in the laboratory."
The dolphins that could be reached would be buried on site, he said.
dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,20281,18340203-5001028,00.html
The marine mammals were spotted early this morning on a 30km stretch of coastline between Black Point and the mouth of the Warren River in Dentrecasteaux National Park, south-west of Pemberton.
Officers from the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) were called to the site after a dolphin was found stranded at Black Point.
A spotter aircraft then found up to 40 more dolphins, all of which appeared to be dead.
Donnelly district manager John Gillard said CALM officers had taken samples from the dolphins for laboratory testing.
"We don't know what caused the stranding at this stage," he said.
"Hopefully we can discover something in the laboratory."
The dolphins that could be reached would be buried on site, he said.
dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,20281,18340203-5001028,00.html