Rescuers scramble to reach 230 whales stranded on Tasmanian beach

Expert whale rescuers are racing to a remote part of western Tasmania, with about half of the 230 stranded whales thought to be alive.

Aerial view of mass whale stranding near Macquarie Heads, Tasmania, on Wednesday. Picture: NRE Tas

Expert whale rescuers are scrambling to reach a remote part of western Tasmania where 230 whales have stranded, with about half of them thought to be alive.

The mass stranding, at several sites in or near Macquarie Harbour, is the second in two days in Tasmania, following the death of 14 sperm whales on King Island.

Conservation experts from Tasmania’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment were on Wednesday heading to the Macquarie Harbour stranding site with rescue gear.

“Marine wildlife experts will assess the scene and the situation to plan an appropriate response,” said a department statement, issued hours after The Australian broke news of the mass stranding.

“Stranding response in this area is complex. If it is determined there is a need for help from the general public, a request will be made through various avenues.

“The animals, which appear to be pilot whales, are stranded on Ocean Beach. A number of animals are stranded on a sand flat inside Macquarie Harbour. It appears about half of the animals are alive.”

Fourteen sperm whales died on King Island earlier this week. Pic: NRE Tas.

The conservation experts would “work alongside staff from the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service and Tasmanian Police at Strahan”, the statement said.

A mass stranding two years ago in the same area led to the deaths of 250 pilot whales.

The department said any rescue would work to a “comprehensive Cetacean Incident Manual, which has undergone extensive review since the 2020 mass stranding”.

On Tuesday, a mass stranding of 14 young male sperm whales was reported on King Island. All died.

Tasmania is a hotspot for whale strandings, potentially because of its proximity to the continental shelf.

Scientists are still baffled by the causes of mass strandings, although it is believed many may be misadventure, such as whales straying too close to shore in pursuit of food.

The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority said there had been no seismic testing for oil and gas reserves in commonwealth waters in the relevant areas in recent days.