“Rescue operations will be hampered by deteriorating weather conditions and we need to ensure the safety of everyone involved before we move the whales,” Mr. Chick said in a statement. “The conditions are challenging, but we are doing all we can to give these animals the best chance of survival.” 
 
 Further complicating the whales’ odds is that recently rescued whales tend to beach themselves a second time. 
 
 “Once we have moved the whales out we will monitor the situation closely, as it is possible the whales will come back into shore and re-strand,” Mr. Chick said. “This has often been the case in previous mass strandings.” 
 
 Short-finned pilot whales, which can live in pods of 100 or more, are known to periodically beach in what scientists call mass strandings, though why they do so is unknown. Scientists speculate that illness, navigational errors and human interference may be causes. 
 
 In 2009, more than 80 whales and dolphins died on a beach in Hamelin Bay. 
 
 The biggest mass stranding of whales in Western Australia happened in 1996, when 320 long-finned pilot whales beached themselves in Dunsborough, about 40 miles north of Hamelin Bay. 

 SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian rescuers were racing against time to save 15 short-finned pilot whales on Friday after more than 150 of the migrating mammals beached on the country’s west coast. 
 
 Most of the whales had died, said Jeremy Chick, incident controller at Western Australia’s conservation department, after becoming stranded on dry land overnight. 
 
 Authorities and trained volunteers were trying to save 15 in shallow waters. 
 
 The whales beached at Hamelin Bay, 315 km (198 miles) south of the state’s capital, Perth. 
 
 While whales regularly get stranded on the coastal strip migrating between Antarctic feeding grounds in the south and warmer northern waters where they raise their young, the large number this time is unusual. 
 
 Melissa Lay, manager at the Hamelin Bay Holiday Park, told Reuters on the phone that it was the second masse stranding she had witnessed during her 15 years in the area. 
 
 Stranded whales on the beach at Hamelin Bay in this picture obtained from social media, March 23, 2018. Leearne Hollowood/via REUTERS 
 
 “There are some that are still alive but barely,” Lay said. “The last time it happened, none survived.” 
 
 Locals and tourists were being warned to stay out of the water due to a likely increase in sharks attracted by the dead whales. 
 
 People there for the peak salmon fishing season were also advised to stay out of the shallows. 
 
 “It is possible the dead and dying animals will act as an attractant, which could lead to sharks coming close into shore along this stretch of coast,” the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said in a statement. 
 
 Slideshow (8 Images) 
 
 The largest mass stranding of whales in the state occurred in 1996 when 320 long-finned pilot whales stranded themselves just north of Hamelin Bay. 
 
 Short-finned pilot whales are dark-coloured with pinkish-grey undersides, travel in large numbers and often get stranded en masse, the department said. 

 Supplied image of more than 150 short-finned pilot whales who became beached at Hamelin Bay, in Western Australia's south, Friday, March 23, 2018. A shark warning has been issued after more than 150 short-finned... (Associated Press) 
 
 Supplied image of more than 150 short-finned pilot whales who became beached at Hamelin Bay, in Western Australia's south, Friday, March 23, 2018. A shark warning has been issued after more than 150 short-finned... (Associated Press) 
 
 PERTH, Australia (AP) — More than 150 whales have become stranded in Hamelin Bay in western Australia, and only 15 of them were still alive on Friday, authorities said. 
 
 The mammals are believed to be short-finned pilot whales. 
 
 The stranded animals were first spotted by a commercial fisherman early on Friday morning. 
 
 As of Friday afternoon, only 15 whales were alive. A rescue operation was underway to try and herd them back to sea. Authorities say palliative care will be administered where necessary. 
 
 "I think it's absolutely incredible, I've never seen anything like it, seen so many whales beached like this," said Barrie Brickle, a tourist visiting the area. 
 
 A shark alert has been issued by the Fisheries Department as the stranded whales may attract the ocean predators. 
 
 "Unfortunately, most of the whales beached themselves on dry land overnight and have not survived," rescue team leader Jeremy Chick said. "Rescue operations will be hampered by deteriorating weather conditions and we need to ensure the safety of everyone involved before we move the whales." 
 
 The carcasses were being removed from the beach, with Parks and Wildlife Service officers taking DNA samples in an attempt to collect clues about why whales strand. 
 
 In 2009, more than 80 whales and dolphins died on a beach in Hamelin Bay. 
 
 The biggest mass stranding of whales in Western Australia happened in 1996 in Dunsborough. That year, 320 long-finned pilot whales beached themselves.
– At least 140 whales have died after becoming stranded on a beach overnight in Western Australia, the AP reports. Over 150 short-finned pilot whales were first spotted on the beach at Hamelin Bay by a fisherman on Friday morning. By Friday afternoon, all but 15 had died. According to the New York Times, the number of survivors decreased to seven by Friday night. "I've never seen anything like it, seen so many whales beached like this," one tourist tells the AP. Over 100 volunteers, wildlife personnel, and others showed up to help, but their efforts to rescue the whales were hampered by bad weather and the danger of sharks showing up to feast on the carcasses. "The conditions are challenging, but we are doing all we can to give these animals the best chance of survival," a member of the Parks and Wildlife Service tells the Times. Parks and Wildlife Service officers are taking DNA samples as they remove the whale carcasses in an attempt to figure out why they were stranded. Short-finned pilot whales are prone to what scientists call "mass strandings," though it's unclear why. Possible reasons include human activity, problems navigating, and illness. While whales regularly get stranded on Hamelin Beach as they migrate north from the Antarctic waters where they feed, such mass strandings are unusual, Reuters reports. A manager at Hamelin Bay Holiday Park says this is only the second mass stranding she's seen at Hamelin Bay in 15 years. In 2009, over 80 whales and dolphins died after beaching themselves in the area.