The scientists said two large groups of long-finned experimental whales hung on sand bars in Port Macquarie, on Tasmania's rugged and sparsely populated west coast.
Up to 90 whales died after being stranded in a remote bay in southern Australia, and rescuers warned Tuesday that the mission to rescue another 180 stuck whales would be "difficult".
The scientists said two large groups of long-finned experimental whales hung on sand bars in Port Macquarie, on Tasmania's rugged and sparsely populated west coast.
Pictures from the scene showed dense shallow waters with dozens of large, slippery black mammals maneuvering into space.
Rescuers can be seen wading through the water to reach the whales as they attempt to re-float them in deeper passages.
Government marine biologist Chris Carleone said "about a third" of the 270 animals had died late Monday, and that rescuing survivors would be a "difficult" task that would likely take several days.
Although mass delinquency of whales occurs relatively often in Tasmania, no such large group has been seen in the area for more than a decade.
The animals can only be reached by boat, which limits the number of lifeguards who have access to them.
About 60 people - including volunteers and local fish farm workers - are taking part in the rescue effort.
They fight the cold and damp conditions as well as the unusual tides of the harbor dictated by atmospheric pressure.
"In terms of mass whale delinquency in Tasmania, it's about the most difficult," Carleone told reporters in the nearby town of Strahan.
However, Carleone said that many partially submerged whales should be able to survive the several days it would take for his team to complete the mission, due in part to bad weather.
"It's very ugly for people on Earth, but as far as whales go to perfection - they keep them hydrated, keep them calm," he said.
Carleone said rescuers would still have to "sort" the whales, prioritizing the healthiest and the easiest.
The infamous whale trap
Most of the group of 30 whales on a nearby beach were found dead on Monday, while around 60 other whales on sandbars are also believed to have died.
Once the whales are back in the water, Carleone said, the biggest challenge will be to graze the social creatures from the sandy harbor and back into the open ocean.
Scientists said it was not clear what caused the recent delinquency, but Carleone indicated that the capsule may have deviated from its course after feeding near the shoreline or by following a whale or whales that have strayed.
Karen Stocken, an expert in marine mammals at Massey University in New Zealand, said Tasmania was a "special hotspot" for experimental whale populations in the great centuries.
"It looks like a notorious whale trap ... You tend to have mass strandings there," she told France Presse.
Stokken said that while pilot whales were typically more resilient than other whale species, lifeguards faced a race against time as mammals could overheat, degrade their muscles and break down their organs outside of their natural environment.
Their highly social nature, she said, is also expected to work against the rescue efforts, as some freed slinging whales will likely return themselves to stay near the capsule.
0 Comments