America News Agency

According to the Tasmania Department of Natural Resources and Environment, a group of 157 animals resembling false killer whales has stranded on the shore.

Marine conservation experts, including wildlife veterinarians, arrived at the scene on Wednesday morning and confirmed that 90 animals were still alive.

Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Services liaison officer Brendon Clark said at a press conference in Hobart on Wednesday morning, "Our mass stranding events usually involve pilot whales, but this time, we are dealing with false killer whales, marking the first such incident in about 50 years. Our estimate is that they have been stranded for about 24 to 48 hours."

Clark added, "Initial assessments indicate that refloating the whales will be difficult due to the inaccessibility of the site, ocean conditions, and the challenges of transporting specialized equipment to the remote area."

"We have around 200 meters of turbulent tidal waters and breaking waves, so trying to return the animals directly to those waves will be difficult," he said, adding that this would pose safety risks for rescue teams.

The expert mentioned that the reason for the stranding remains unknown, adding that helicopter surveys showed no other stranded animals on beaches within a 10-kilometer radius of the area.