230 whales beached in Australia's Tasmania, 2nd stranding in days

Some 230 whales were stranded Wednesday on the coast of Australia's southernmost state of Tasmania, just days after 14 sperm whales were found beached on an island off the state's northwest coast.The animals appear to be pilot whales and are stranded on Ocean Beach and a sand flat at nearby Macquarie Harbor on the state's west coast, said Tasmania's Department of Natural Resources and Environment.It appears about half of the animals are alive, the department said, adding that a team from the department's Marine Conservation Program was assembling whale rescue gear and heading to the area.Me…READ FULL ARTICLE