Around 270 whales stranded on sandbar off Australia's Tasmania

Stranded pilot whales are seen in Macquarie Heads, Tasmania, Australia September 21, 2020, in this picture obtained from social media. RYAN BLOOMFIELD/via REUTERS

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Marine biologists were planning the rescue of around 270 whales stranded on a sandbar off the remote west coast of the Australian island of Tasmania on Monday.

Government scientists said it appeared that at least 25 of the animals, believed to be pilot whales, had already died. Pilot whales are a species of oceanic dolphin that grows 7 metres (23 ft) long and can weigh up to 3 tonnes.