JAKARTA – Rescuers have been working on Thursday to save a number of pilot whales after they were discovered beached on the coast of Indonesia’s main island of Java.

The giant marine mammals are believed to gotten trapped in a mangrove swamp at low tide on Wednesday morning in Probolinggo, East Java province.

Wahid, the Maritime Resources Management Office head, said at least 32 pilot whales had been found stranded. Seven of them were less than two meters in length and the local fishermen had tied them to prevent them getting washed further ashore.

At least eight pilot whales had died after the mass stranded, the AFP reported.

Villagers in the area in the east of Java island were helping fisheries staff trying to lead the 30 or so whales, most of which were believed to be young pilot whales, back to sea.

“The residents are trying to push the active whales back toward deeper water … but some are still stuck,” Deddy Isfandi, a fisheries official in the coastal town of Probolinggo, told media.

Whale beachings, while unusual, have been seen in other parts of Indonesia.

This year, a four-tonne, 16-metre sperm whale was found dead on a beach on the resort island of Bali.

– with other agencies