Australian whales: 90 dead en masse stranded off Tasmania

At least a third of the 270 whales stranded off Tasmania have died and more are feared dying, rescuers in Australia say.

However, crews were able to save 25 of the animals on Tuesday and are aiming to escort more back to sea.

The pilot whales were discovered in shallow waters off the island’s west coast on Monday.

It is unknown what attracted the whales to shore. Marine biologists say the rescue mission will likely take days.

Whale stranding is common in the region, but one of this size has not been seen in more than a decade.

Tasmania last recorded a massive stranding in 2009 involving about 200 whales.

Rescuers from the Tasmania Marine Conservation Program arrived late Monday and found three groups of whales at Macquarie Heads, a remote end of the island with limited access by boat and road.

About 200 of the mammals had appeared on a sandbar near the boat ramp, while another 30 were found several hundred meters away. Another 30 were found inland along Ocean Beach.

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

However, some of the whales closest to deeper waters have been successfully driven off.

A team of about 40 trained rescuers began to “re-float” a small number of whales Tuesday morning, using equipment to push the animals off a sandbar into deeper water.

“We’re usually dealing with tall, dry animals on the beach. This is different. We have semi-floating animals, so it probably doesn’t take much to re-float them, it just involves a bit of grunting.” said wildlife biologist Dr. Kris Carlyon.

Once the whales are doing well in the water, the next step is to take them further.

Dr. Carlyon told reporters that this could be a challenge against the high tide. Boats can be used to aid maneuvering.

He added that many of the animals may simply be too large or in the wrong location. Pilot whales can grow up to seven meters long and weigh up to three tons.

“We will take the animals with the best chances to start,” said Dr. Carlyon.

He said rescuers knew from previous missions that pilot whales can survive three or four days on the beach, and many of this group were in good “wet and cool” condition.

A full evaluation of the group was due to take place later Tuesday. Authorities have urged the public to stay away from the scene, saying they have enough helpers.

The reason is often simply unknown, scientists say.

In Australia and New Zealand, different types of whales make seasonal migrations each year in herds of up to 1,000 animals.

Researchers say they follow a leader and their strong social ties can lead entire groups to the beach.

“It could have been a single misadventure of one or two of them and because pilot whales are such a social species, that may have attracted other animals,” said Dr. Carlyon.

In New Zealand in 2018, more than 200 pilot whales died over the course of a week in separate strandings off the nation’s east coast.