Six rescued whales beach again in Australia

Six whales released back into waters off Australia's west coast following a mass beaching came back ashore on Wednesday, authorities said.

Rescuers used trucks and cranes fitted with giant slings to move 11 long-finned pilot whales by road to sheltered waters for release, after they beached with about 80 others on Monday at Hamelin Bay, south of Perth city.

One of those moved was euthanased overnight after straggling in poor health near to shore, and an aerial patrol spotted six others again stranded near the city of Augusta early Wednesday.

"They have been found along a stretch of pretty rugged coastline," said the environment department's Jason Foster.

Helicopters and four-wheel drives would have to be used to access the site, he said.

Surveillance planes would continue to search for the other four whales, who were believed to have made it to deeper waters during the night.

The latest beaching takes the total number of whales stranded around southern Australia and Tasmania in the past four months to more than 400.

Earlier this month rescuers saved 54 pilot whales after nearly 200 of the giant creatures beached themselves on King Island off Australia's southern coast.

In November, more than 150 pilot whales died after beaching themselves on Tasmania's west coast and in January, 48 sperm whales died on a sandbar at the north of the island.

The phenomenon of whale strandings and the causes remain the subject of scientific debate.







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