Unfavourable ocean and weather conditions thwarting rescue efforts are forecast to persist for days and the surviving animals will be euthanised.

The animals appear to be false killer whales, according to Tasmania’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — More than 150 false killer whales are stranded on a remote beach on Australia’s island state of Tasmania, officials said on Wednesday. Marine experts including veterinarians were at the scene near Arthur River on Tasmania’s northwest coast, a Department of Natural Resources and Environment statement said.

More than 150 whales have become stranded on Tasmania’s remote West Coast, with authorities racing against time to mount a rescue operation. Initial assessments from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment indicate that 136 of the 157 stranded whales are still alive.

More than 157 whales have stranded on Tasmania’s West Coast near Arthur River. It appears most are still alive. What we know so far. A group of 157 whales have stranded near Arthur River, on the state’s west coast — south of Marrawah.