Majority of pilot whales stranded on WA beach saved after huge rescue operation

After an hours-long rescue mission, the majority of a pod of up to 160 whales stranded at a beach in Western Australia have been saved.

The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions said 29 whales had died. Source: SBS News / Christopher Tan

More than two dozen whales have died but over 100 have been saved after a mass stranding at a beach in Western Australia's southwest .

Up to 160 pilot whales beached themselves at Toby Inlet near Dunsborough, more than 250km south of Perth, on Thursday.

The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions said 28 whales had died.

It remains unclear why whales strand themselves. Credit: Supplied

"We're in the stage of removing them off the beach and taking measurements and samples," Regional Wildlife Officer Pia Courtis said.

The remaining whales that were spread across 500 metres of the beach were helped back out into the ocean where another two pods of about 130 animals were sticking together offshore.

Most of the whales appeared to be adult females with a few calves, Senior Research Scientist Marine Fauna Holly Raudino said.

Earlier, whale researcher Ian Wiese described the "terrible" scene where he saw many of the dead creatures.

"It's terrible. There are many dead on the beach," the Geographe Marine Research chair told ABC Perth.

Concerns remain that the whales will strand themselves on another beach nearby despite being hauled back into the ocean.

Boats are in the water trying to prevent the pod from stranding again.

"We've got vessels and a spotter plane up in the air doing searches every couple hours to see where they are," Courtis said.

"So far so good they haven't made it back to shore but we will keep monitoring them."

The last mass stranding of whales in Western Australia was at Cheynes Beach in Albany in July 2023 where at least 90 of the mammals died.