Stranding of a satellite-tagged southern right whale off southwest Australia

Resumen

A southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) was found dead, stranded on a remote rock platform at Torndirrup, Western Australia, on 20 September 2022. Subsequent inspection of the animal showed it had been satellite tagged 11 days prior as part of an investigation into southern right whale movements within inshore breeding grounds and to offshore feeding grounds. This tagged whale was tracked east and then offshore in a southeasterly direction for nine days post tagging, before the track suddenly turned north and ended up at the stranding site. Gross necropsy evaluation was constrained by difficult access, but a rapid inspection of the carcass and collection of tissue samples in situ was conducted on 23 September 2022. The whale had large open wounds on both the back left peduncle region and head region. There was no external or subcutaneous inflammation around the tag site on the front right dorsal side. Findings were inconclusive and mortality could not be attributed to any single event. Possible causes or contributing factors to mortality include an adverse response to the tagging, vessel strike and killer whale predation.