A minimum of 26 pilot whales succumb to mass stranding incident in Australia

At least 26 long-finned pilot whales have perished, with a number rescued, following a mass stranding involving 160 of them in Western Australia, according to the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.

The incident occurred on Tuesday morning in Geographe Bay near Dunsborough, with dozens of whales stuck in shallow waters across a 500-meter stretch, a footage showed.

While such events are not rare in Australia and New Zealand, their exact cause remains unclear, though some experts speculate that whales may veer off course after feeding near the shore.