Table Of ContentTrunsfitlHw o)'the ftavotSocial *>/-V. Ausi. 0^1), USUI, 17-S3.
WHALE STRANDING^ IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA 1.1891-1989)
by CATFfLKINL M. KEMPER & JOHV K. f Nc»»
Summary
Kr-MPDR, C M. & I.inc., I- K, (1991) AVliatestranding* in South Australia (I881-J969) Trans. R. 5oc. S.
<1«tfr 115(1), 37-52, 31 May. 1991.
Cetacean strandings werecollated Irorn museum records and published and unpublished sources* The
identification of stranded animals was verified tti 85ftV ofevents by examination of voucher ipecimem
or photographs. Trends in cue branding record were documented, bul reasons lor strandings were not
investigated in detail From 1881 to l%'9, 309 stranding events, involving 24 species, have been resided
in South Australia, while an additional species may have stranded in the State. Stranding event* mo-t
commtmly involved Tun/opstrum-ulns, Delphinusdffphis, Physete* mmroveptmlus. Cuitereumt/rgttiuto,
IfflgOfltCMfOH Unordii, Ulohicephufa nwias, hogia bruvicvps, and Baluerwptcra acmurostratu, Strandings
wereless frequent on the western shores Ol<iull St Vincent and Spencer Gulf, possibly because these arc
protected trom strong >outhweste:ly winds. There wasa trend towards more frequentevents beingrecorded
inJanuary/Kchruary andSeptember.'October. Somespeciesshowed seasonal trends in stranding, possibly
relatedtotheir mnuatoiy patterns01 movementsinshorc/otfshorc. bightv-ntnepercent Ofstrandingevents
involvedsingleanimals; NWfcinvolvedcroupsoftwoorthreeanimalsand3%wereot lourormore, iwettty-
eight percent ofstrandedanimnUwerejuveniles [n^orrtespecies(e.g. Balafinopien/^cutuwiiruft/. G/^tvew
tttarg-inato, dabicephuhtspp. Kfigitispp dudother BaJaenoptendae),juvenilesconstitutedu fugb propotiion
(>30%). At least tStyu ofurandittgeventsinvolvedhveanimals, althoughmoreaccurateobservationsand
reporting tn recent timesindicatelhat licestrandingsareprobablymorefrequent. TherewerelivcMiandint!*
o\"Wspecies, including baleenand toothed whale*- There wasa tendency forUrge whalesto strand more
oftenina moribund ordecayingslatethan smallspecies.On average, about20recorded strandingevent*
have occurted in South Australia each year since 1985.
Kr>v Wuftr* vcutccans, stranding, mass stranding, trends.South Australia
Introduction observationsarc available for Victoria <\**akcf"ield
19tS7: Warnckc 1983, 19$$)and the Illawa/radistrict
Cetacean stranding* have captured theattention of New South Wales (Robinson 1984). Specie*
ofhumanssinceAristotle's time (see Ansfulle 335 recorded in Queensland are discussed in Bryden
BO), but only in Ihe last few decades have these (I97.KV Patersiin (I9h6) and r*aterson & Van Dyck
events been studied in detail. Marc recently, trends (1990) Since I9S4 all states, bul not the Northern
havv been analysed and plausible hypotheses Territory, have been reporting strandings in the
proposed on the possible causes for stranding of Australian National Parks & Wildlife Service.
liveanimals(reviewed by Geraci& St Audio 1979). The South Australian Museum has taken a
There are many possible causes of cetacean special interest in cetaceans since the mid- lo late
strandings, e.g. disease, injury (both natural and 1800s (Hale l95ol- H~ R. Waiie, II. M. Hale and,
anthropogenic), birth difficulties,adverse weather, mote recently, V. R Aitken established a stranding
parasite infections, food supply- old age and toxic* reporting and collecting network which provided
pollutants (Geraci & St Aubin 1979). A recent uswithsufficient recordstoanalysetrends.Aitken
hypothesis suggests that cetaceans may Vnake (W71) publisheda summary ofthe 18 specieswhich
navigational mistakes* if the earth's geomagnetic he regarded asoccurring in South Australia, based
field is disturbed jKIirtowska I98n), Seree<tni <I9b2) on stranding,*; or sightings (also summarised by
concluded that nearlyall animals involved in single Seigcant 19N2). A revised account was presentedby
strandings were diseased or paiastiised, but those Line A: Aitken (1981). Stopp (1984)' compiled a
involved in mass strandings were not. dciailcd account of the locations of many South
in Australia, the most detailed accounts ot Australian strandings up to 1984, with someother
cetacean strandings exist for Tasmania(reviewed by details foT each specimen.
Nicol & Croome 1988). Some published Here we summarise (he entire stranding record
fur South Australia. Trends in strandings arc
* South Australian Museum, North Tcnace. Adelaide. analysed in relation to species- composition and
S.A- 5000 abundance, geographic and seasonal distribution.
! Stopp, B. A. (1964) Cetacean standings m Fiftttib group sl/eofsnanded animals, age,, and active vs
iAnusWtirladlilaifIe8a8nMd9MP4a.rkFiMeladnaSlguedmvenfoti,AsSsoourtiharAcuDsitrpalloimaan passivestrandingevents. No attempt ha.s been nude
College of Advanced Education. io investigate or explain the cause of strandings.
J* t. M. KLMPLR&J. K LING
except ill very eeucral lenns. Specialattention Was gulfe, because they ate very much influenced b>
paid to the possible influences of the unique oceanic patterns). Salinity al the head ofthe gulf*
uceano^raphic conditions nfSouth Australia on the is much higher than al then mouths (far Spencer
cetaceans of southern Australian waters. Gulf as high as 48'L in the late sumntct and ahum
4.Vfc* in late wintet <Nunes & Lcnnon I9K6j). Due
to the shallowness of the \\<ttcr in the gulls |<50
<Kcjnoir3jjin <if ihc South Australian C'uasi m), temperatures range fromabout I2°C in winler
toabout 24° in summerfByc IV7n; \unes& Lcnnon
The South Australian coast measures IV86J. Again, there is a north-south gradient. The
appios-imalely 4000 krn of which about 1500 km gulfi are somewhat protected from the lull effects
OHVti) border two lav^e gulls. St Vincent and ot the Southern Ocean by their surrounding land
Spencer. Several large baysoccuralongthe seaward musses.
coast. The 2U0-m balhnmetriccontour lies 104>-2*K> Another ttrcuof interest oceanographtcally. but
km offshore for much of the eoasi bu! is closer about whichlitlieis known, isthe Headot:theGreat
inshoiv (50kini inthesoutheastof theState. Hence Australian Right. In winter, temperatures and
ihere is a broad continental shell wluefr, with ihe salinities are luehet lhan the waier to the south
exception ot Bass Strait, is unique furthesouthern (PearceA Crcsswell 19K5).
half o[ the continent, l>rep canyons ate found to
IhesoutheastofKangaroo Island andsouthwest of
Ccduna. Annual mean water temperatures in non- Materials and Methods
eulf waters vary from J5°-18°C (Radok 19761
Coldoceaniccurrentsgenerally How jp pti etisterly Information on cetaceanstandingstfagg<iered
diiection across southern Australia at rates of 14-25 from specimens and photographs held in the
km perday. exceptinsummer when a westerlyeddy collections of the South Australian Museum,
is found in the Great Australian Bieht region published recordsin Ailken (1971), Hale(1911. 1939,
(Federal Deportment of Transport ]987). A fasl (35 1959, 1962), I ing & Aitken <19KI), Siopp (198-1),
kin per day) easterly cmrent occur* in the Bight Watte (1919), and newspaper articles; and
during winter. The Leeuwin current, whtch unpublished records from various sources. No
originates in Ihe Indian Ocean ofr Western specimens from South Australia estsr in the
Australia, brings warm water into the Right in collections of the Western Australian Museum,
autumn and winter (Pe.trvc & Cresswell lVis5>. A Australian Museum, or Museum of Victoria. The
suiface temperature gradient ol up lo 5°C may be identifications of all specimens in the South
notedalongthesoutherncoast ofWesternAustralia Australian Museum have recently been verified;
at cms tune Little has been documented on gulf hence snme published observations (e.g.. Aitkcn
and inshorecurrents in Suuih Australia although 197t) may not be consistent with outs. Ofthe 309
studies areui progrev% <t*. Hemisevics pers. comni. stranding events reported here, 75^0 arc verified
19901 with voucher specimens in the South Australian
In SouLh Australia, the plevailiug winds are Museum and 10'Vo are verified with photographs
generally somberly orsoutheastert> in summerand ijloue.
southwesterly oi northerly in winter (ClimaticAtlas The taxonomy used here is that of Bannistci
ol Australia I9KK). There may be sonic deviation 0988) with the exception ofG/obicepha/omeias[-
from this pattern in the region oi ihegulls. Wind- nteiuenu) (Rice 1989), the placement ol Capt'av
induced upwelling events are important in the murginata in the family Ncobalaeuidae (Rarnes &
southeast of the State in summer {Lewis I9SJ; McLeod 19tf4) and (he use of the specific name
Schahingcr (987). Other areas ol upwelling are murroccpintluKt not emotion, for PhvscM'r(seeRice
foundoffIhesouthwestcoastofKangaroo Island, NX9)
and between Coffin Bay and Arvxious Bay fjust A 'stranding', hi ihe present study, is any event
south ol Sireiiky Hay) (P, Petrusevics pcrs. comrn. involving the beaching or washing up on shore of
live or dead cetaceans, as well as observations1 of
Byei!97r>) describedthegulfs(Spencvr Gulfand dead cetaceans floatiny:offshore. Skeletal material
CiulfSi Vincent, separatedby Yotke Peninsula)and honi the coast is included in our definition ol
their associated waters fInvestigator Strait and stranding (but not dated), except in the case of
Encounter Hay) asa complex zoneof fundamental Eitbalacnaaustntlis near old whalingstations Jt is
importance to South Australia's marine assumed that most museum specimens Lackingdata
environment. (Investigator Strait (north of were collected as a result of stranding events.
Kangaroo IslandJ and r.ncountei Bay tcasi oi although eautum was exercised in Ihc cases ft|
Kangaroo Maud) are not considered part ol* the Phy.wtt'r mflirox'ephaltis and Bihafaenu ouSTrtftb
WHAT ^ MKANniNCtS IN SOim AUSTRALIA »
due io whaling acriviiies, ll is possible that some Globicephala welas and Balatnopretu
vmall cetaceanscould have been caught accidentally (tcutofost+uiu, whose stains varies depending on
id fishing nets, but lliiy information isnot recorded whether specimen records tacking vouchers or
by rlie Museum. A single Capetva mar&irtatQ locality inlormation are included. AIJ have ercatei
(Encounter Bay. September 1887) was caught in a than 10 recorded stranding events. Buhii>)wptera
fishing net. phywtus, Beruntiusacmuniand Kogio simus have
The relativeageofindividual*; wasestimated only stranded onlyonce Thereissomeuncertainty about
in those easeswhere the total length ol iheanimal whether fasmaeetus sftepfwrdt has stranded once
was known Ofi in a lew cases, was estimated from or twice fG. Ross pers, ctwnm. 1990),
photographs. Neonates were definedasindividuals
approximately the length of newborn animals, Geographic distribution of'stranding events
based cm information front otherstudies (Perrinef Stranding events having geographic locality
al. 1984; Ross 1984;. Juveniles weredennedas being information (238)werenot evenly distributedalong
less than, or equal to, a certain proportion ol the theSouth Australian coast (Fig. I). Morestranding
species"length al physical rminirky. These are: 50% occurred in (or were reported from) the Coffin
(t. tmvcalis. fi tnucrotepfuthis, Globicephalavpp., Hay/1'on Lincoln and Coorong regions, followed
Gnwtpus griseus), 55% (C margino/af* 60% by the eastern side of Gulf St Vincent, Ihe uorlh
(Oataenopteridae, Tursiops fruncatus, Delphmus coast of Kangaroo Island and Ihe Streaky
deiflftist, o5*'w (Kosia spp.) ajtd TWJii (Ziphndae). Bay/Ccduna regions. Very few stranding* vveic
I hese propoitutus werebased oninformation from reported from the western side>.ofGulf St Vincent
several sources (Uryden 1972; Ross 1984; Mead & andSpencerGulf, despite moderate levels ofhiitriiin
Potter 1990; Koss pers. comm. 1990). activity along these coasts. There were tew
Whoretheactualdaleofstrandini' wasunknown* stranding reported in the tar west ol the Stale*
the month was estimated on the basi> ul much of which is lined with inaccessible cliffs and
photographs of tlic animal or a description of its a rocky shoo:. Forty-six percent of standings
state of decomposition, occurred within the gulls region which includes
The term 'gulfs' refers here only to Gulf Si nboui 40% of the South Australian coast
Vincent and Spencer Gulf. The term 'gulf's region* Massstranding*(ije, morethan threeindividuals)
include; Investigator Strait and BackstairsPassage have occurred at six locations (Fig. I). Tive were
and the north coast of Kangaroo Island. in the gulls region Three locations (north of
Adelaideand northeastern Kangaroo island) were
Results where other live standings have occurred fFig. 2).
Active |= Hve)brandingshave been reported less
Species frequently in remote areas than around centres of
IWeuty-fourspeciesal cetaceans woreverified as population, e.g. in the gulls region iFig. 2),
having stranded along the South Australian coast Nevertheless, it appears lhat someareas le.e. Port
between 1881 and 1989 Hanle I). There is some Lincoln/Coffin Bay, Nepean Hay, eastern Gull St
uncertainly about the additional species, Vincent, Murray River mouih) are more prone to
(Btitaenoptero borealis, which, although in the aelive stranding* than arc others.
South Australian Museumcollections, may not have There ate trends in the gcogiaptuc dislributiou
stranded in the State. Keccnt re-exartiination of ofstrandingeventsofspeciesorspeciesgnjups(Figs
baleen plates (SAM M4829), previously identified 3-8). Both 77 truncalits and IX delphis have
as H. ivjent\ resulted in the identification being stranded along much of the coast but
determined as ft boreuto {based on characters concentrations of events eyjsts around Adelaide
described by Mead 41977) and Horwood 11987)). Port Lincoln. Nepean Bay and ihe Murray River
However,iheptaies.havenoaccompanyingdataand mouth (Fig, 3>. The two records of 77 trintcatus
therefore could have been collected elsewhere, or from LataAlevmdrina(northoftheCoorong) *erc
Ibey may not have been from a stranded animal. made before the barrages were built in the ISWK
No species are recorded as stranded in the State- few dolphin sifundings have been recorded from
based solely on photographs or other reports the northern ends ofthefluffs Ofthe 36standings
lacking voucher material (Table I). within ihe gulfs region, moie were of 7. trHtuutus
Jn terms of individuals (but excepting the mast than D. driphu \P <0.10\ v.- 2.7K, 1 d.l'.),
Mrandings of teeudorxn erasstdemh the most Fewstranding ofGlohicephala maemrhyncftus
commonly stranded species were the dolphins. T. and G. nwtas were reported in thegulf? region (Fig.
(mfwutawiH.} O, tlelphis. Theseatr followed by six 4). The only two recoTds within the f.ulfs proper
species; i^hvwtet macroct'phah4s\ Cupercn being C7. tnta/ofttvnehus, one of these a mass
frtarxJ'UMK Me^oplodon luyoalii, Ko&o hrwkeps. stranding.
40 C M- KEMPER & X K. LING
Table 1. Stranded cetaceans along the South Australian coast recordedfrom various sources. South Australian
Museum (SAM/specimens with no locality data are inparentheses andare includedin the totalnumbersto their
left. Events from othersources includesphotographs, publishedandunpublishedrecords. Totalindividualsincludes
specimensplus individualsfrom other sources. Unidentified recants not listed
Events from
SAM other Total Total
Family, genus & species specimens sources individuals events
BALAENIDAE
h'ubalaena australis 7(5) o 7 7
NfcOBALAENIDAE
Caperea marginata 27(8) 2 29 29
KALAENOPTERIDAE
Bataenoptera acutorostrata U<2) 1 12 12
H. borealis* KU o 1 1?
B. edeni 6(0) 1? 6 6
H musculus 5(1) o 5 5
H. physalus 1(0) I 1
Megaptera novaeangliae 4(0) ? 5 5
UELPH1NIDAE
Delphinus dclphis 39(12) 16 60 54
Globicephalo sp. I 2 2
C. macrorhynchus 10(1) !° 6
G. melas 11(1) * 15 14
Grampus griseus 2(0) 2 4 4
Orctnus orca 3d) 3 3
Pseudorca crassidens 2(0) c310 2
Thrsiops truncatus 71(21) 12 12fi 65
PHYSETER1DAE
Kogia breviceps 20(1) 1 2 13
K. simus 1(0) \ 1
Physeter macrovephulus 26(4) 8 34 34
ZIPIIIIDAE
Berardtus arnuxii 1(0)
Iiyperoodonplanifrons 7(0) \
Mesoplodon sp, 6i 5
MM. bowdoini 2(0) I 2 2
gruyi 8(0) i 8
M, layurdii 22(0) I 19
Tasmacetusshepherdt 1(0) o 1 i
Ziphius cavirostris 2(0) 2 2
TOTALS 290(58) 56 705 309
* Doubtful S.A. record
Strandings of C\ marginata have been reported and the Coorong). No trends were apparent for
from the Victorian border to Streaky Bay (Fig. 5) other species. Thesingle stranding ofajuvenileB.
although the latter location is unsubstantiated. physalus occurred at the northern end of Gulf St
Sixty-fivepercent ofstrandings haveoccurred in the Vincent.
Fort Lincoln andNepean Bayareas. No strandings The numerous strandings of Physeter
have been recorded from well within the gulfs. macrocephalus have occurred along almost the
Balaenopterids showsome interestingtrends (Fig. entireSouth Australiancoast(Fig. 7). Few havebeen
6). B. edeni, with the exception of a dubiously recorded within thegulfs. The record from Adelaide
identified specimen from Cape Banks (approx. was a specimen ofbonesofunknown date, buried
38°S), hasalwaysstrandedwell within thegulfs. B. insand in shallow water. No record could be found
acutorostrata, ontheother hand, hasalmostalways ofa largewhale stranding near Adelaide in the past
stranded outside the gulfs and usually in specific 50years, so we assume that these bones represent
areas (e.g. Coffin Bay, Port Lincoln, Nepean Bay an older stranding event. Kogia breviceps hasalso
WHALE STRANDINGS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA 41
129* 130
Fig. 1. Geographicdistributionand numberofrcponedstrandingeventsinSouth Australia, 1881-1989.Shadedareas
indicate coastline over which events took place. Solid triangles denote mass stranding localities.
13a" 130
l?9» ITiO
Fig. 2. Geographicdistributionofreportedactive(O)and passive(•)strandingeventsinSouth Australia, 1881-1989.
—
42 C. M. KEMPER & J. K. LING
Fig. 3. Geographic distribution ofreported dolphin strandingsinSouthAustralia, 1881-1989, Each symbol represents
3 Delphimts delphis (#) or Tursiops truncatus () stranding event.
1 —
iEucla _J^ ^^r>K,
'0h-
"nL
v___iCj& Cedunn f
Psri Augusta
Ureal Aualtalian Bight ^ M
^iStreak^Bay
O
J ,
/
\
"*S
I / r •WjF[|Aini=ii -i
35*1-
i
00km
NepGan Bay
.17-
Fig. 4. Geographicdistribution ofreported pilot whalestrandingsinSouthAustralia, 1881-1989. Eachsymbol represents
a Glohicephaia macrorhynchus (#), G. melas () or Globicephala sp. () stranding event.
WHALE STRAND1NGS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA 43
Fig, 5.GeographicdistributionofreportedstrandingsofCapereamarginatainSouthAustralia, 1881-1989. Numbers
in circles represent numbers of events. Streaky Bay stranding is unsubstantiated.
1Eucla
0ffi Ceduna
)Psrt Augusta
Great Australian Bigtil 1
0-
200m fen
&
V >/ T^F
S
vis
¥
ozkm X
Nepean Bay
iffqston
X,
^L
129* i.iii 131' 13?" i!J3» T*!p IKS'7 136' 137' 133" 133° i*0" 141°
Fig. 6. Geographic distribution ofreported strandings ofrorquals (Bataenopteridae) in South Australia. 1881-1989.
Kach symbol represents a Balaenoptera ecleni (•), B musculus (A), B. acutorostrata (), B. physalus (> ) or
Megaptera novaeangliae (D) stranding event.
4J C. M. KEMPER & J. K. LING
129' 130' 131° 132 39* 140'
Fig. 7. Geographic distribution ofreported sirandings ofPhyseteridae inSouth Australia, 1881-1989. Each symbol
represents a Kogiasimus (A), K. breviceps (•) or Physeter macrocephalus () stranding event.
Fig. K. Geographicdistribution ofreported beaked whale (Ziphiidae)strandings in South Australia 1881-1989. Each
sbyomwbdoolinriep(rOe)s,en%tfsi agrBaeyira(r•di)usAfa,rnluaxyiaird(iH)A,)Z,ipMheisuospclaovdiroonstsrpi.s((+O)XorHTyapsemraocoedtousnsphteapnhtefrrdoins(*<) stKraMnedsionpgleovdenotn.
WHALE SIHANDINGS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA
stranded over awidestretch ofthecoast, including
the gulfs, but none has stranded on Kangaroo
Island. The single stranding event of A', simus is
from Adelaide. 2fphll<Mc
Beaked whale strandings have been recorded
along the entirecoastline (Fig. 8). Only 25% ofthe
beaked whalestranding events have been within the
gulfs region. There are many records from the
western side of Eyre Peninsula and along the
southeastern coast of the State.
Four species have not been illustrated on the
foregoing distribution maps. To our knowledge,
Eubalaena australis stranded three times during
1881-1990; an adult at Port MacDonnellinthe far
southeast and two neonates at. the Head of the
Great Australian Bight. Grampus griseus has
stranded at four localities: Point Turton (Yorke
Peninsula), Coorong, Willson River (Kangaroo
Island) and Denial Bay (near Ccduna). The
locations of possible O. orca strandings have not
been reported (see Ling 1991). Mass strandings of
P, crassidensoccurred twiceand arediscussed under FMAMJJ A$ONU
'Group size of stranded animals1. I
Seasonal trends
Glohtcephaia spp
Stranding events (aU species combined) were
recorded most frequently in January - April and
September - October (Fig. 9). However, this trend
docs not always extend to individual species, or
speciesgroups (Figs 10 and 11). Beakedwhale and
T, truncatus strandings were recorded most often
in summer (Fig. 10). An increase in rorqual
strandings was evident in September (Fig. 11), with Fig. 10.Monthofoccurrenceofreported strandingevents
sixout oftheeight beingjuvenile animals. Wehave of Ziphiidae, (Mesoplodon tayardii solid bars), and
Delphinidae fJltrsiops truncatus solid, Dutphinus
deipnisopen, O. macrorhynchussolid, G. mclas, open,
24 Glohk-ephata sp. dotted)in South Australia, I8SI-I989.
Numbers above bars- refer to numbers of neonatal
22 individuals stranded.
B
C20
»
w
18 insufficientdataon other species, or speciesgroups,
§* to draw conclusions, although there did appear to
C beslight increasesduringSeptember - Octoberfor
W2 14 Globicephala spp., C. marginata and T. truncatus.
12 Some species appeared to have stranded in
S
fio specific periods (Figs 10 and 11), Kogia breviceps
stranded from April to October, mostly between
Z
8 JulyandOctober. Physetermacrocephalusstranded
6 between July and December. A/. Jayardii (January
- July)and G. macrorhynchus(May-September)
4 havealso stranded in somewhat restricted periods,
2 but sample sizes may not be sufficient to be sure
of such trends. The stranding of an adult £.
J J A N P australisin February isnoteworthy, sinceit isoutside
Month the period of sightings of live animals in coastat
Fig.9. Mouthofoccurrenceofreportedstrandingevents South Australia and Victoria. The nature of its
in South Australia, 1881-1989. injuries - almost decapitated (possibly by a large
-]
4o C M KEMPER & l K. 1 I.NCt
recordedin April -June,within thegulfs. Thiscould
8 Balaenopteridae suggest an absenceofliveD. delphh from thegulfs
6 during the autumn quarter.
4 Group .size ofstranded uninntfs
2 There were 184 stranding events involving single
FrMAMJJ ASOND animals. Fifteen (8%) events had two or three
.1 individuals and six (3^o) had five or more (Table
3). When two stranded* niost of the events were
cow/calfassociations, especially Mesoplodan spp.
z and K. brevkvps. Excluded from Table 3 is a
c 4 possible association between an adult and subaduh
W
0c) 2* FMAMJJ nA-SOND amanldeoHnyepedraoyodaoptatrtp.lantfmnswhichstranded 60km
c J Mass strandings (i.e. morethan three individuals)
1- are rare in South Australia. Those that have
tn occurred ate described below:
*. 6 Kogiaspp.
o
5 4 St Kikla <34°45'S. I2tfa32Tj September 1903
Hale (J93I) described briefly the stiaudmg of five
zI 2- JTMAMiJJASOND CmA.acfreommreahllyeunescithwruasn,d(e-mdtfjhmteesllma(usadl)ivoefn)otfhwoellSoiiwdKeeindltdbiafyimfeadonurgarmsoavleeG*s.
when the tide went out.
Pttysetermacrocephatus Port Prime <34°3l rS, 138°18rE> approximately 5
October 1944
4 f— Hale (1945, 1959) described the massstranding ot
2- about 250P. crassidens in Cull*St Vincent, north ol'
FMAMJr~J1 I ASOND!—— aAdleolnagidtehe,c-o\apsptroofxitmiadatlelHyal2s0i0nsotnieangdreodup(,.swoimlehaalbivoeu)l,
J 50others stranding 2.5 km north of the main group
Month and isolated individualsalonga 30-fcmstretchofcoast
lie. II. Monthofoccurrenceofreported strandingevents bbicorlwoegeicnalPodrartaPawrehreamcoalnledctPeodrtorGapwulbelri.sheVderyonlittthlee
of rorquals (Balacnoptcndae), Cupereu mar&nuia. srranded animals which were misidciitified as G.
hoeia spp., and Phvseter macrocephaius in South meiaena {- melas) at ihe time ol stranding.
Australia, 1881-1989. Numbers above bars refer to
numbers of neonatal individual stranded. Merdayeirah/Eucla(3t°41 '& I29°0nrE)August 1963
In August HH&about 59/? t'/ms/tfe/iystrandedover
about eight miles I- 13 km) o\'sandy beach between
ship's propeller) - suggests that it may have died Mcrdaycrrah Sandpateh, S.A.and Euela, W.A, About
soSmueandidsitnagncse,ofofTf.smhowrcea.tusweremost frequent in ca1Jo2invwieemor.tef1or9en8s9ht)lhybeedlseiaaendvdewpsahtiehcnahifaotnuhneddy,4s7tMraratnHdh.eudcGluaart.nhAeilyglh{wpeoerdr?ee,
January - March, bothwithin andoutsidethe gulfs becausethere were furrowsin the sandas ifthey had
(Table2). Events wererecorded throughout theyear beendrivenupthe beach- He recordedmales, female-;
i-nSbeoptthemrbeegironosu,tswiidtehtahepoguslsfisb.leThmhetpcattitoenrninfoJruDl.y a(woenfrdevcaaabrlvyoeiusntgb2u0tl-ed2nig1dthfn)eo,etta(c6o.lu4inttmtl)eeaJiencshsl.ecnaAgttcehgcooarrynd.diTnrhgheetcmoaallvMeeiss
defphis was similar but there were no standings Gurnev a stoim did not precede the stranding.
Taisir 2. Stranding events ofTursiops truncatus (a) and Delphinus delphis fh) which occurred inside and outside
Gulj St Vincent and SpencerGulfduring fourperiods oftheyear.
Location Jan - Mar Apr - June July - Sept Oct - Dec
(a) Inside gulfs 3
Outside gulls 4
(b) Inside .tmlfs
Outside gulfs 3
