Related: More whales and dolphins stranded

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Near 100 whales and dolphines have died in a mysterious mass beaching on Australia's south coast. (Photo: CRIENGLISH.com/AFP)

    BEIJING, Nov. 29 (Xinhuanet) -- Near 100 whales and dolphines have commited mysterious "mass beaching suicide" from last week on Australia's south coast.

    According to the reports of Monday's AFP, a second pod of 17 whales has died on King Island between the Australian mainland and the country's island state of Tasmania. Last weekend, a fatal stranding had caused the death of about 80.

    The number of deaths on King Island could be higher as some bodies might have been washed back out to sea, said Warwick Brennan, a spokesman for Tasmania's Department of Primary Industry, Water and Environment.

    Rescuers were rushing to the area to drag by all means the mammals back to sea.

    According to Brennan, the success of the rescue operation would depend on the condition of the animals and the depth of the water.

    No one knows exactly why the mammals are stranding themselves. Scientists have been on their way to King Island to help with postmortems as part of the process of trying to discover a reason.

    These stranding mammals were first noticed by the local people. And they immediately pitched in to try to save them.

    The deaths come a year after 100 pilot whales died on a remote beach on the southwest coast of Tasmania. Enditem

    (Agencies)