Only 90 of the 157 bound marine animals appear to be still alive as rescuers compete with the clock to save the clock.
Australian environmental officials say more than 150 fake killer whales are stuck on a Tasmania beach, and rescuers are rushing to save those still alive.
The Department of Natural Resources said in a statement Wednesday that Marine experts are on the scene of a mass beach near the Arthur River on the northwest coast of Tasmania.
“They’re stuck for 24-48 hours now,” said Brendon Clark, liaison officer for the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Department.
Speaking at a press conference, Clark said only 90 of the 157 beach fake killers still seemed alive. Authorities have not yet determined whether any of the whales can be rebuilt, he added.
“It’s challenging to try and re-float an animal directly into its surfing, and of course it will pose some major safety risks to staff and personnel,” Clark said.
He explained that the inaccessibility of beaches, sea conditions and challenges with delivering special equipment to remote beaches complicate rescue responses.
“We now have experts on the ground… everything we can do to determine how it will be implemented to try to achieve an appropriate and humane response to this particular, very challenging incident. ” Clark said.
Local resident Jocelyn Flint said her son found a whale stuck around midnight Tuesday, according to the Associated Press news agency.
“The water was rising quickly, they were thrashing. They’re just dying, they’re sinking in the sand,” Flint said.
“I have a little baby. There are a lot of big ones on one end. It’s sad,” she added.
Fake Killer Whales are endangered species of marine dolphins that resemble the killer whales in appearance. It grows to 6.1 meters (20 feet) in length and gains weight from 500 kg (approximately 1,100 pounds) to 3 metric tons (approximately 6,600 pounds).
Clark said the incident was the first stance of the Tasmanian species since 1974 when more than 160 pods landed on a beach near Stanley on the island’s northwest coast.
Clark refused to speculate on why the latest pod got stuck, but he said the body would look for clues.
There are several things that can cause whales to be beached, including disorientation, illness, old age, injuries, predator escape, and bad weather.
The state’s Environmental Department warned in a statement that “all whales are protected species, even if they once died, and it is a crime to disrupt a body.”
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