A pod of 97 pilot whales stranded on Cheynes Beach on Western Australia’s southern coast has drawn global attention. Although the beaching itself is notable, the whales’ behaviour just before they got stuck on shore has intrigued marine experts. Videos show the whales huddling together – at one point forming the shape of a love heart – for most of Tuesday before becoming beached at around 4pm. Authorities say 52 of the whales have died, and about 120 volunteers and wildlife officers have tried to save the remaining 45, but it’s not looking good. The issue is while some have been put back into the water, they’ve turned around and become beached again. It’s unclear what caused the mass stranding – marine scientist Rebecca Wellard says pilot whales are typically “tightly bonded” and tend to follow each other.