On Monday morning, residents of India's port town of Tuticorn in Tamil Nadu state were shocked when short-finned pilot whales began washing up on their beaches, according to CBS News. As of now, more than 80 whales were reported to have washed up. Rescuers put at least 26 of the mammals back into the sea, although their efforts were in vain - most appeared disoriented and some even made their way back to the beach.
According to local officials, the community is currently in the process of asking a nearby marine park to determine the cause of the whales washing up and help them return them to the ocean.
Short-finned whales are known for their sociable nature as it is uncommon for them to be seen swimming alone, according to the Daily Mail.
Ravi Kumar, the top government official for the town, said short-finned pilot whales typically travel in groups, or pods, and when they are without a leader, the group can become confused.
Kumaran Sathasivam, a whale expert, talked to the BBC about the event and said that rescuing stranded whales is a difficult process because they need to be returned at the same time.
"Otherwise, they will return to be with the whale that is in distress. The whales emanate a sound that is not audible to human beings and that makes them return to the shore," he said. "Also, because of their weight, they are not able to get back into the water and their bodies get overheated, and they die on the shore. You need to constantly pour water on them because their bodies are covered in a layer of fat."
The last time that whales washed ashore in the town of Tuticorn in large numbers was in 1973, according to local records.
