Some 230 whales were stranded Wednesday on the coast of Australia's southernmost state of Tasmania, just days after 14 sperm whales were found beached on an island off the state's northwest coast.
The animals appear to be pilot whales and are stranded on Ocean Beach and a sand flat at nearby Macquarie Harbor on the state's west coast, said Tasmania's Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
It appears about half of the animals are alive, the department said, adding that a team from the department's Marine Conservation Program was assembling whale rescue gear and heading to the area.
Members of the public have been urged to stay away, as whales are a protected species, even once deceased, and it is an offense to interfere with a carcass, according to the department.
The stranding is the second such event in days after the 14 sperm whales were discovered Monday afternoon on King Island, in the Bass Strait between Tasmania's northern coast and Melbourne. All were dead at the time the stranding was reported, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. quoted a department spokesperson as saying Tuesday.
Whale stranding is not uncommon in Tasmania, though researchers are still unsure of why the animals beach themselves.
In 2020, Australia saw its largest mass stranding on record when some 470 long-finned pilot whales were found beached on sandbars at Macquarie Harbor. All but about 100 of the animals died, according to ABC.
Related coverage:
Beached whale on south Japan island dies despite rescue efforts
Almost 100 whales, dolphins die after stranding in New Zealand
380 whales dead in record mass stranding off Australia's Tasmania
