Pilot whales Tasmania: Almost 400 die in Australia's worst stranding

About 380 whales have died in what is suspected to be Australia's largest stranding on record, officials say.

Since Monday, hundreds of long-finned pilot whales have been found beached on Tasmania's west coast, BBC reports.

Rescuers had managed to save 50 by late on Wednesday, and they were trying to help the remaining estimated 30 whales.

Tasmanian government officials said the rescue effort would continue "as long as there are live animals".

"While they're still alive and in water, there's still hope for them - but as time goes on they do become more fatigued," said Nik Deka from Tasmania's Department of Primary Industries.

He added the focus would now also shift to removing the hundreds of carcasses scattered along the coast. A clean-up plan is still being worked out - in the past carcasses have been buried on the shore or dragged out to open sea.

It is not fully understood why the whales became stranded. The species is known to be prone to getting beached.

The stranding, one of the largest ever recorded globally, eclipses a previous national record of 320 set in Western Australia in 1996.