The mass stranding of whales near Macquarie Harbor had animal rights activists on Wednesday on alert. Aerial photos showed dozens of shiny black marine mammals lying along the beach at the waterline.

Unfortunately, the death rate is high, Clark said. The surf on the unprotected beach puts a lot of strain on the animals.

Local residents covered the still living pilot whales with blankets for their protection and doused them with sea water. Some animals on the long beach tried in vain to free themselves from their plight on their own.

On Monday, 14 male sperm whales died on a remote beach on Tasmania's King Island.

In 2020, 470 whales were stranded off the coast of Tasmania. More than 300 pilot whales died at the time - despite the efforts of dozens of volunteers to save the animals. The reason for these mass strandings is still unclear.