More stranded whales rescued on coast of Tasmania

Authorities have rescued at least 94 long-finned pilot whales after this week's mass stranding on Tasmania's west-coast.

Six were saved on Friday morning and about 12 others may still make it, officials said.

About 350 whales have died and efforts are underway to move their carcasses to deeper water.

Scientists say they are keeping a close eye on the surviving group.

Almost 500 whales were discovered on Monday and Wednesday beached on the shore and sand bars along the remote west coast of the island state near the town of Strahan.

The task of removing hundreds of tons of whale carcasses has begun and is likely to take days, Marine Conservation Program wildlife biologist Kris Carlyon said.

Carlyon said rescue crews were working 12-hour days.

Why the whales ran aground is a mystery.

Theories include that the pod followed sick whales or made a navigational error.

Tasmania is the only part of Australia prone to mass strandings, although they occasionally occur on the Australian mainland.

Australia's largest mass stranding had previously been 320 pilot whales near the Western Australia state town of Dunsborough in 1996.

Tasmania's previous largest stranding involved 294 whales on the northwest coast in 1935.