More than 150 whales strand themselves on Western Australian beach

Only 15 short-finned pilot whales are alive after a mass stranding event which saw more than 150 of them stranded on the West Australian coast.

Volunteers, veterinarian staff and wildlife officers made their way to Hamelin Bay early on Friday morning, working to ensure their survival. 

But by 12 p.m., many of the whales had already died, with winds and a swell from a tropical cyclone proving a challenge for workers hoping to move the surviving animals back to water.