Marine rescuers will work to free the last surviving whales from a pod of 230 stranded on Tasmania's west coast, as authorities keep nearby residents informed about the effort through a community meeting.
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The majority of the pilot whales died after becoming stranded on Ocean Beach near Macquarie Harbour, south of Strahan, on Wednesday.
However 32 of the 35 surviving whales were on Thursday refloated in what rescuers described as a "terrific result".
The focus will shift on Friday morning to freeing the three remaining surviving animals, which rescuers have been unable to access because of the challenging location and tidal conditions.
Then, over the coming days, the team will prioritise removing and disposing of the about 200 dead whales.
More than 50 Tasmanian government staff, volunteers and workers from a local aquaculture company banded together for Thursday's rescue effort, incident controller Brendon Clark said.
While the rescue component of a stranding could be completed in the first few days, disposing whale carcasses could take much longer, he said.
"Weather conditions will determine the timing for the removal of the whales," Mr Clark said.
"We understand it's hard for people to watch from afar but thank them for allowing our teams to focus on the critical work required for the response."
A community meeting will be held on Friday evening in Strahan to keep residents informed about the situation.
Ocean Beach will reopen to the public as soon as possible.
What caused the mass stranding may not be able to be determined, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania said.
The department is undertaking post-mortem investigations.
Australian Associated Press
