DBCA staff and volunteers continue refloat attempts for stranded false killer whales at House Beach

Rescue efforts for three false killer whales continued at House Beach, east of Bremer Bay on Tuesday afternoon as Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions staff and volunteers refloated the whales, only to have one strand again.

DBCA staff, assisted by 10 registered volunteers, had successfully refloated the three stranded whales about 1.45pm on Tuesday afternoon from House Beach, about 12km east of Bremer Bay, after a pod of seven stranded overnight.

One whale was observed swimming away, however one whale remained in the shallows and the third whale re-stranded itself.

DBCA said staff would continue to monitor the re-stranded whale.

Aerial surveillance had not detected any other whales offshore but will remain in place to ensure there are no sharks in the area that could pose a risk to staff and volunteers’ safety.

The seven false killer whales stranded on House Beach on Monday night, and DBCA staff were on scene early on Tuesday morning, however four of the animals died overnight.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development first issued a shark alert for the area about 5.50pm on Monday, which remains in place.

Members of the public are advised to avoid the area for their own safety and to support response efforts, and not to self-deploy to the incident.

DPIRD advises people should take additional caution in the area and adhere to beach closures issued by local government rangers, Parks and Wildlife Service officers and Surf Life Saving WA.

People are urged to stay informed by checking for shark activity on the SharkSmart website, SharkSmart WA app, or follow @SLSWA on X.