Hundreds fight to save up to 160 stranded whales

PERTH - Hundreds of volunteers are in the water desperately trying to save up to 160 whales stranded on two beaches south of Perth.


The false killer whales, most between four and five metres long, have beached themselves at two sites in and near Busselton, 230km south of Perth.


Many of the whales are said to be in extreme distress after being out of the water since before 8am this morning.


It was about then that Department of Conservation and Land Management (Calm) officers were told 62 whales had beached near the Dolphin Bay boat ramp.


Calm later learned another larger pod of about 100 whales had come ashore near a caravan park on Mandalay Beach, 4km west of Busselton, Calm marine liaison officer Neil Taylor said.


Mr Taylor said hundreds of people, including Calm staff, local council and fisheries employees and members of the public, were in the water helping keep the whales alive.


"We have had a magnificent response," Mr Taylor told ABC radio.


"Everyone is rallying around because it is a major, major exercise to rescue these whales.


"It's not uncommon for this species to strand."


But Calm Blackwood district manager Greg Mair said even more volunteers were needed with the rescue operation expected to continue overnight.


"We are desperate for more volunteers to come down here," he said.


Mr Taylor said none of the whales had died, but they were "copping a battering".


Calm planning officer Mark Pittavino said the primary objective was keeping the whales alive, and ultimately it was hoped the mammals could be turned back out to sea.


"People need to realise that because we don't know what the cause of this stranding is, that even if we do move the animals out to sea, it is possible they could turn around and come back in again," he said.


Volunteers are being urged to bring wetsuits, booties and warm clothing with them.


Western Australia is no stranger to whale strandings.


On April 3 this year, 19 long-finned pilot whales beached themselves at nearby Geographe Bay.


Six died, but about 50 volunteers and Calm staff managed to herd 13 survivors out to sea.


The last mass stranding of whales on the south-west of WA was in 1986 when 114 false killer whales beached themselves in a remote area near Augusta, 500km south of Perth.


Of the 114, 96 were returned to the sea by rescuers. The other 18 died.


In 1996, a pod of 300 pilot whales - 200 of which had tried to beach themselves at Dunsborough, 300km south of Perth - were successfully moved to deep water.


- AAP