Dozens of pilot whales have died after becoming stranded on a sandbar on Tasmania's West Coast.<br /><br />Rescuers have been desperately trying to save the pod of 270 whales who became became stuck on Monday morning. <br /><br />Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service's Nic Deka said progress has been slow, with conditions and the half-submerged whales making rescue efforts tricky.<br />This morning's phase will be critical in determining what is possible,' he told reporters on Tuesday.<br /><br />'Basically we'll take the animals with the best chance to start with and the ones that we are able to deal with.<br /><br />'Some animals may be simply too big or in an unsuitable location.'<br /><br />Mr Deka said about one third of the whales had already died as of Monday evening and most were inaccessible by boat.<br /><br />'In terms of mass strandings in Tasmania, this is the trickiest we've had to deal with,' he added, saying the mission could take days.<br />About 60 people are helping with the rescue, including 40 parks and wildlife staff and personnel from nearby fish farms, which have supplied boats.<br /><br />Mr Deka said pilot whales were a robust species and the survivors have a chance of lasting several days on the sandbars if the weather stays cool.<br /><br />'It's ugly for people on the ground but as far as the whales go, it's ideal,' he said.<br /><br />The whales got into trouble on Monday morning but the rescue couldn't begin until marine specialists were able to survey the scene.<br />Mr Deka said multiple rescue methods would be trialled and a lot would depend on how the whales respond.<br /><br />It is understood to be the biggest mass stranding in Tasmania in more than a decade.<br />
