What caused 80 whales to beach themselves on the Indian coast?

At least 45 whales have died after mysteriously being washed up on to a beach off the coast of Tamil Nadu, India. Officials have confirmed that as many as 80 short-finned pilot whales had become stranded on the sand without any clear reason behind the spate of beached animals. Rescuers have managed to save 36 of the mammals, who appear to be struggling to find their way back in the sea. Local records show that the last time whales washed up on the beaches of Tuticorin in large numbers was in 1973 when 147 whales died, Kumar said. Whale expert Kumaran Sathasivam told the BBC that it is difficult to rescue stranded whales because they need to be returned to the sea at the same time. 'Otherwise, they will return to be with the whale that is in distress. The whales emanate a sound that is not audible to human beings and that makes them return to the shore. 'Also, because of their weight they are not able to get back into the water and their bodies gets overheated, and they die on the shore. 'You need to constantly pour water on them because their bodies are covered in a layer of fat,' he said