Local Editor

A major rescue effort was launched after at least 150 whales became stranded on a beach in Western Australia. 

The short-finned pilot whales became on Hamelin Bay near Augusta, a small town around 200 miles south of Perth. 

Officials said more than half of the animals have died and a mission is underway to try to save the remaining creatures. 

Jeremy Chick, from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, said the live whales were currently stuck in shallow waters and the plan is to herd them out to sea.

"Rescue operations will be hampered by deteriorating weather conditions and we need to ensure the safety of everyone involved before we move the whales," he said.

Authorities said the dead whales may attract sharks and have warned local residents to be careful near the water.

"It is possible the dead and dying animals will act as an attractant, which could lead to sharks coming close into shore along this stretch of coast," the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said.

"While it's not uncommon for sharks to be present off the WA coast throughout the year, people should exercise additional caution until the stranding incident is resolved."

Parks and Wildlife Service officers are taking DNA samples from the deceased whales to try and determine possible clues for why whales become stranded.

They can often be attributed to environmental factors such severe weather. Sometimes whales become beached if they hunt too close to the shore.

Pollution from man-made chemicals, oil spills or plastic waste can also be a factor.

Beached whales often die of dehydration or their bodies collapse under their own weight and long and short-finned pilot whales are the most common types of whales that end up in mass stranding.

In 2009, more than 80 pilot whales died in a mass stranding at the same location.

The largest mass stranding occurred in 1996, when more than 300 long-finned pilot whales became stranded in Dunsborough, around 50 miles north of Hamelin Bay.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team