Bad Weather Hampers Efforts to Rescue Stranded Sperm Whales in Australia

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A pod of 19 sperm whales were stranded on the coast of Australia's Tasmania state and most of them are dead, authorities said Monday.

STRAHAN, Australia — A pod of 19 sperm whales were stranded on the coast of Australia's Tasmania state and most of them are dead, authorities said Monday.


The whales were trapped in heavy surf near western Tasmania's Trial Harbor, said District Ranger Chris Arthur.


Arthur said most of the animals were already dead, and chances of saving any survivors could hinge on the weather.


"The weather is incredibly difficult," Arthur said. "We know that the majority of the whales are dead and that they are in the surf zone."


The stranding, reported to authorities early Monday, came after dozens of pilot whales and dolphins were beached on Tasmania's east coast earlier this month.


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Source: Associated Press