More than 60 whales are dead and 17 remain stranded after beaching themselves on Western Australia's southwest coast.More than 100 volunteers were desperately trying to keep the animals in a group because if they were sent into the ocean on their own, they could return to beach themselves after hearing the distress calls of other whales.
Mass strandings of long-finned pilot whales on Australian coasts have occurred on average once a year since 1970.
Earlier this month, on King Island, northwest of Tasmania, more than 140 pilot whales died after nearly 200 beached themselves on the coast.
A DEC spokeswoman said what caused the animals to strand themselves was a mystery that would be investigated.
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Photo credit: Steve Mitchell, AP
