Marine experts have given up hope of saving more than 150 false killer whales stranded on a remote beach on Australia's island state of Tasmania
Experts including veterinarians were at the scene near Arthur River on Tasmania's north-western coast where 157 whales were discovered on an exposed surf beach on Tuesday, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment said.
Unfavourable ocean and weather conditions, which prevented the whales from being rescued on Wednesday, were forecast to persist for days, incident controller Shelley Graham said.
"We have been out in the water this morning and have relocated and attempted to refloat two whales but didn't have success as the ocean conditions weren't allowing the animals to get past the break. The animals are continuously restranding," she said o Wednesday.
The inaccessibility of the beach, ocean conditions and challenges to getting specialist equipment to the remote area complicated the response.
Marine biologist Kris Carlyon said the survivors will be euthanised.
"The longer these animals are out stranded, the longer they are suffering. All alternative options have been unsuccessful," he said.
Department of Natural Resources and Environment liaison officer Brendon Clark declined to speculate on why the pod might have stranded.
Carcasses of dead whales would be examined for clues, he said.
The whales were discovered on Tuesday afternoon and a helicopter reconnaissance determined that there were no other whales within six miles of the stranded pod, he added.
Some could have been stranded for as long as 48 hours by early Wednesday.
Arthur River local resident Jocelyn Flint said her son had discovered the stranded whales around midnight while fishing.
She said she had gone to the scene in the dark hours of the morning and returned after dawn but the whales were too big to attempt to refloat them.
"The water was surging right up and they were thrashing. They're just dying, they've sunk down in the sand," Ms Flint said. "I think it's too late.
"There are little babies. Up one end, there's a lot of big ones. It's sad."
In 2022, 230 pilot whales stranded further south on the west coast at Macquarie Harbour.
The largest mass-stranding in Australian history occurred in the same harbour in 2020 when 470 long-finned pilot whales became stuck on sandbars.
Most of the beached whales died on both occasions.
The reasons for the beachings are unclear. Reasons could include disorientation caused by loud noises, illness, old age, injury, fleeing predators and severe weather.
