150 whales stranded at Hamelin Bay in Western Australia and at least 135 short-finned pilot whales died on Friday. The whales were beaching at that area which is around 315 kilometres south of Perth. A commercial fisherman spotted this incident.
Rescuers were trying to herd those still alive back out to sea. But poor weather and the threat of frenzied sharks prevented them from saving scores of them.
According to AFP, Western Australia state's Parks and Wildlife Service said its staff were on site and assessing the health and well-being of the 15 still alive.
"Most of the whales beached themselves on dry land overnight and have not survived," said incident controller Jeremy Chick.
Hamelin beach was named after French explorer Jacques Felix Emmanuel Hamelin. He sailed through the area in about 1801.
The reason why mass strandings occur is still unknown.
The largest mass stranding in Australia's west was at Dunsborough in 1996. In that time 320 long-finned pilot whales came ashore.
Efforts were underway Friday evening to move the seven surviving whales to deeper water, the department said on Twitter.
“We ask anyone that sees a stranded whale to report it to the Wildcare Helpline on 9474 9055.”
