Tas Australian whales: 90 killed in Tasmania debris

At least a third of the 270 whales trapped in Tasmania have died and more are feared dead, Australian rescuers said.

Mass stranding was found off the west coast of the island on Monday.

Marine biologists are scrambling to rescue the remaining pilot whales in a difficult operation that is likely to take days.

It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post. Whale beechings are common in the area, but not a single one of this size has been seen in a decade.

Tasmania last recorded a large-scale stranding in 2009 involving about 200 whales.

Rescuers from the Tasmanian Marine Conservation Program arrived late Monday night and found three groups of whales in McCurry Heads, a remote part of the island with limited ship and road access.

About 200 mammals were washed over a sand dune near a boat ramp, while 30 others were found several hundred meters away. Another 30 were found on the beach more from the inside.

Many whales are in “relatively inaccessible” locations, posing a challenge for rescuers.

A team of about 40 trained rescuers began “re-floating” a small number of whales on Tuesday morning – using equipment to push the animals out of the sandbar into deep water.

“Usually we deal with high and dry animals on the beach. This is different. We’ve found the animals to be semi-pleasurable, so it probably won’t take them long to get them to swim again – just a little bit of rigor.” Dr. Christ Carlyn, a wildlife biologist.

If the whales are working well in the water, the next step is to get them out more.

“This will be a challenge in the face of recruitment,” Dr Carlyn told reporters. Boats can be used to help with maneuvers.

However he said many animals could simply be in large or unsuitable locations. The pilot whale is seven meters long and weighs up to three tons.

“We’ll take the animals with the best chance to get started,” said Dr. Carlyon.

He said rescuers knew from previous missions that pilot whales could live three to four days off the coast, and many of the group were in good “wet and cold” conditions.

A full assessment of the group was due later Tuesday. Officials have urged people to stay away from the scene, saying they have enough helpers.

Scientists say the cause is always unknown.

Australia A wide variety of whales migrate each year around Australia and New Zealand and are as large as a thousand animals.

Researchers say they follow a leader and with their strong social bonds whole groups can advance themselves.

“This may have been the only malpractice by one or two of them and because the pilot whale is a social species that has pulled other animals into it,” said Dr. Carlyen.

In New Zealand in 2018, more than 200 pilot whales died in a single week in separate strands on the east coast of the country.