Race to save whales stranded on remote Australian beach

Rescuers are rushing to save more than 150 whales which have been stranded on a remote Australian beach.

Tasmania’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment said 157 false killer whales had beached near Arthur River, in the island’s north west.

Conservation experts and veterinarians at the site estimate 136 of the animals – which witnesses say include juveniles – are still alive. They are planning an operation to return them to sea.

Tasmania has seen a series of mass whale strandings in recent years – including the worst in Australian history, involving almost 500 pilot whales, in 2020.

Authorities asked members of the public to avoid the site – about 300km from the city of Launceston – as there are bushfires burning in the area and limited road access.

“Stranding response in this area is complex due to the inaccessibility of the site, ocean conditions and the challenges of getting specialist equipment to the remote area,” a department spokesperson said in a statement.

“If it is determined there is a need for help from the general public, a request will be made.”

Local resident Jocelyn Flint told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation she had travelled to the site on Wednesday morning after her son noticed the pod while out shark fishing overnight.

“There are babies… There’s just families of them. Their eyes are open, they’re looking at me, like ‘help’.”

“It’s just absolutely horrific. They’re all struggling.”

More than 80% of Australian whale strandings take place in Tasmania – often on its west coast.

Around 470 pilot whales were stranded further south at Macquarie Harbour in 2020 and about 350 of them died despite rescue efforts. Another 200 become stranded in the same harbour in 2022.

Whales are highly social mammals and are well known for stranding in groups because they travel in large, close-knit communities which rely on constant communication.

There are a range of theories for why beachings occur. Some experts say the animals can become disoriented after following fish they hunt to the shore.

Others believe that one individual can mistakenly lead whole groups to shore.