SYDNEY, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- More than 150 false killer whales have become stranded on a beach on the Australian island state of Tasmania.

The Tasmanian Department of Natural Resources and Environment on Wednesday morning confirmed the mass stranding of 157 false killer whales in the state's far northwest, local media 9News network reported.

Initial observations by authorities showed 136 of the stranded animals were still alive. Wildlife veterinarians and staff from the state's Parks and Wildlife Service and Marine Conservation Program have arrived at the beach and are planning a response.

The beach is in a remote location on Tasmania's northwest coast, about 100 kilometers from the nearest major town of Burnie and 300 kilometers from the state capital of Hobart.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment said that the inaccessibility of the site and ocean conditions made a stranding response complex.

It said that any attempt by the public to interfere could be considered a criminal offense and that it would request help from the public if it is deemed necessary.

Several mass stranding events in Australia have occurred in Tasmania. More than 450 pilot whales became stuck on sandbanks and beaches at Macquarie Harbour, about 140 kilometers south of the location of the current event, in September 2020. Two years later, another 230 pilot whales became stranded in the same location. Enditem

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