Most successful whale rescue in Australian history

About 140 whales died before the area's residents and wildlife officials could begin rescue efforts.

Volunteers and wildlife officials teamed up to help save 54 of a pod of 194 pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins that beached themselves on an island between Tasmania and the Australian mainland.

Teams spent hours on Monday keeping the surviving animals wet and cool before they could be lifted, pushed and hauled back into the water.

Chris Arthur, spokesman for Tasmania's Parks and Wildlife Service, said the world had witnessed the most successful whale rescue in recorded history.

It was the fourth mass whale stranding on the same stretch of beach since November, and broke a pattern in which many of the marine mammals that were returned to the sea died after beaching themselves yet again.

Despite the success, conservationists demanded an investigation into possible human causes for the latest strandings because two species of cetacean came ashore at the same time.

Mark Simmonds, of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, said that is enough to arouse suspicions of a human factor, including the use of sonar by the military.

Some strandings in the past have been linked to naval sonar activity. In 2005, the Royal Australian Navy said it would avoid areas where whales were known to be stranding.

Photo: John Nievaart