Total tally of rescued long-finned pilot whales climbs to 108

Rescuers have freed more stranded pilot whales from a beach in Macquarie Harbour, boosting the tally of rescued whales to more than 100.

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FOURTEEN more pilot whales have swum to freedom from the mass stranding at Macquarie Harbour boosting the tally of rescued whales to 108.

Marine Conservation Program wildlife biologist Dr Kris Carlyon said the successful rescues were a “fantastic outcome” credited to the admirable efforts of volunteers and experts.

“We only had one whale re-strand overnight, which is a good result given 20 whales were released yesterday,” Dr Carlyon said.

Trained volunteers and marine conservation experts have worked to save the exhausted whales since the mass stranding was discovered on Monday morning.

About 360 whales did not survive what is believed to be the largest stranding in Australian history.

Rescuers work to save a whale on a beach in Macquarie Harbour. Picture: MELL CHUN / AFP

Experts believe there are no more living whales in the carcass-filled harbour on Tasmania’s West Coast.

The task now remains for crews to efficiently dispose of the long-finned pilot whales.

Incident controller and Parks and Wildlife Service manager Rob Buck said the team was preparing the dead animals closest to Strahan for disposal on Sunday.

He said aquaculture companies were lending their equipment and expertise to the collection and disposal efforts.

“Yesterday, 15 whales were buried at sea in a trial to determine the success of this disposal method,” Mr Buck said.

The removal is expected to take multiple days to complete, subject to wind, tide and current conditions.

A whale on a beach in Macquarie Harbour after the mass stranding. Picture: MELL CHUN / AFP

Mr Buck asked members of the public to keep clear of the immediate area for the safety of responders.

“We know it’s hard for people to watch from afar and thank the community for allowing our teams to focus on the critical work required for the response,” he said.

Mr Buck said the team was working to make sure the Macquarie Heads boat ramp would re-open “as soon as practically possible”.

People wanting to take their boats onto the harbour have been asked to use the Strahan ramp instead.

With the possibility of whales re-stranding in surrounding areas in the coming days, people are urged to report sightings to the whale hotline on 0427 WHALES (0427 942 537).

For whale stranding updates, visit the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Marine Conservation Program Facebook page or the DPIPWE website.