Over 150 false killer whales stranded on a remote Tasmanian beach have been abandoned by rescue efforts, officials announced Wednesday.

Rescuers, including veterinarians, responded to the stranding of 157 whales on a northwestern Tasmanian beach near Arthur River Tuesday afternoon, according to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

Rescues were thwarted by unfavorable sea and weather conditions, which are expected to continue for several days, incident controller Shelley Graham stated.

“Despite relocating and attempting to refloat two whales this morning, ocean conditions prevented their successful return to deeper water. The whales continue to re-strand,” Graham explained.

Marine biologist Kris Carlyon confirmed that the surviving whales will be euthanized.

“Prolonged stranding causes immense suffering. All other rescue attempts have failed,” Carlyon said.

While initially reported at 136, the number of surviving whales was revised to 90 within hours, the department noted.

The remote location, challenging ocean conditions, and difficulties transporting specialized equipment hampered rescue operations.

The young whales weighed approximately 1,100 pounds, while adults weighed up to 3.3 tons. False killer whales, despite their name, are among the largest dolphin species.

Department liaison officer Brendon Clark described the stranding as the first involving false killer whales in Tasmania since a similar event in 1974, affecting over 160 whales near Stanley. Tasmanian strandings are infrequent.

Clark refrained from speculating on the cause of the stranding, stating that necropsies on deceased whales would be conducted to investigate.

A helicopter survey Tuesday afternoon confirmed no other whales were within 6 miles of the stranded pod.

Some whales may have been stranded for up to 48 hours by Wednesday morning.

Arthur River resident Jocelyn Flint reported that her son discovered the whales around midnight while fishing for sharks.

Flint, who visited the site during the early morning and again after sunrise, stated that the whales were too large to refloat.

“The waves were surging, and the whales were thrashing. They’re dying, sinking into the sand,” Flint said Wednesday morning. “I think it’s too late. There are small calves and many large whales. It’s heartbreaking,” she added.

In 2022, a mass stranding occurred further south at Macquarie Harbor.

Australia’s largest mass stranding event took place in the same harbor in 2020, involving 470 long-finned pilot whales. Most whales perished in both incidents.

The reasons for these beachings remain unclear, with possibilities including disorientation from loud noises, illness, age, injury, predator evasion, and severe weather.