Stranded sperm whales die in Australia
A rare mass standing involving seven sperm whales this week remains unexplained.
The whales were discovered on Parara beach on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia after they found themselves caught in a low tide.
Six of the whales found on the beach were already dead, with another dying later despite efforts to save and refloat the whale.
Samples from the dead whales will now be taken to try to discover why they may have stranded. It is thought that one of the whales could have be ill and the others followed the creature into the shallow waters. They may also have become trapped after following prey close into the shore.
Sperm whales are usually found in deep water where they can dive to great depths as they hunt for prey such as squid.
Find out more about why whales and dolphins strand.
