90 whales stranded off Tasmania coast

 

At least 90 of the 280 whales stranded off the coast of the Australian island of Tasmania have died.

Rescuers say more whales are feared dead.

A large number of whales were stranded off the west coast of Tasmania on Monday.

Biologists are trying to save those pilot whales that are still alive. This may take a few days.

It is unknown at this time what caused the whales to arrive. Although it is common in the area for whales to go to the beach, not many whales have been seen coming up from the sea together since 2009.

Scientists from the Tasmanian Maritime Conservation Program say the whales have been found in three groups in an area called Macquarie Heads on the island, with no access to this remote peninsula and watercraft rarely reach the area.

The whales were first identified from the sky on Monday. The rescuers left and reached there at night. Going there, they found hundreds of whales trapped.

About 200 whales are found on a shelf, and another 30 whales are found hundreds of meters away. Another 30 whales were found nearby.

"Relatively most of the animals are in inaccessible places," said wildlife biologist. Chris Carlyon.

Efforts to rescue the first whale began on Tuesday. It is expected that a complete picture of the situation will be available on this day.

The pilot whale is up to 6 meters (23 feet) long and can weigh up to three tons.