Dozens of whales die stranded on Indonesian beach

People try to save short-finned pilot whales beached in Bangkalan, Madura island on February 19, 2021, as some 49 pilot whales have died after a mass stranding on the coast of Indonesia's main island of Java that sparked a major rescue operation. - AFP

JAKARTA, Feb 20 (AFP): Forty-six small whales stranded on a beach in Indonesia have died, after rescue efforts succeeded in saving three others, local officials said on Friday night (Feb 19).

Starting Thursday, at least 49 short-finned pilot whales arrived at a beach on Madura Island in northern Java, authorities said in a statement.