Regional wildlife officer Pia Courtis said the whales were believed to have become stranded early Thursday.
She said the pod of 110 whales was “sticking together offshore” and was likely to come toward the beach.
“Unfortunately the outcome for our pilot whales once they strand on the beach is generally not good. We have high numbers of animals that end up dying,” Ms Courtis said in a video statement.
Officials urged the public not to try to rescue the whales on their own.
“We know people want to help, but we asked that people please do not attempt to rescue the animals without direction of DBCA staff as this may cause further injury, and distress to the animals and hinder a coordinated rescue effort,” the Parks and Wildlife Service of Western Australia said in a statement.
Dunsborough was the scene of a mass stranding of 320 long-finned pilot whales in 1996. Only 20 died on that occasion, with rescuers returning the rest to sea.
Scientists don’t know what causes whales to strand, although it appears their location systems can be confused by gently sloping, sandy beaches.
Theories include that they are avoiding predators such as killer whales, or following a sick leader ashore. Human-made undersea noise could also interfere with their navigation.
Birdily
Related