whales

A stranded whale pod on Tasmania's west coast appears to be pilot whales and at least half are presumed to still be alive, local government officials said Wednesday.

Australian wildlife authorities are investigating the deaths of the whales, which were discovered Monday on Tasmania's King Island, off the southeastern coast.

Another six people who had been on the boat off New Zealand were rescued. A local mayor says the water was dead calm and the assumption was that a whale had surfaced from beneath the boat.

A veterinarian said that during the rescue operation, the dangerously thin white mammal began to have breathing difficulties, and so experts decided to humanely euthanize the creature.

Entanglement in fishing gear is one of the two biggest threats to declining species of whales, along with collisions with ships.

Lolita was captured five decades ago in the Puget Sound. Animal rights activists say she's the oldest orca in captivity and should live her final years back home in a seaside sanctuary.

Michael Packard says he was trapped in the whale's mouth for 30 to 40 seconds before it tossed him back in the water, bruised but otherwise unharmed. Experts tell NPR such events are extremely rare.

An international team of scientists is preparing to trap a dozen baleen whales off the coast of Norway and conduct hearing tests on them. It could inform decisions on military and business projects.