Autopsies of the mostly calf and juvenile carcasses found the whales were malnourished, Murdoch University researcher Carly Holyoake said at a veterinary conference in Perth on May 28 (local time).
"Post-mortem examination and analysis of the fat content of blubber samples revealed most calves were in an extremely malnourished state," Holyoake said.
While there were about two to three humpback whale strandings annually on the west Australian coast between 1989 and 2007, there was a sharp rise in 2008 to 13, researchers said.
Strandings then soared to 46 in 2009, with a further 16 whales beachings themselves in 2010, while 2011 saw 17 humpbacks - of which 14 were calves and three were juveniles - dying ashore.
Holyoake said they concluded the strandings on Western Australia's southern coast were most likely "due to poor nutrition."
By Ruchi Singh
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
