Australia ? Just two of a group of 45 sperm whales stranded in Australia remain alive, officials said Saturday, and rescuers were trying to comfort them as they wallowed in shallow waters among the bodies of their pod.

The survivors among the group dwindled from seven to two overnight Friday despite the efforts of a team of wildlife officers who rushed to the sandbar on the remote northwest coast of Tasmania state to help.

High tide on Saturday had made it easier to care for the two, but rescuers were still working out the best way to try to navigate the whales through numerous sandbars in the area.

It could be 24 hours before rescuers attempt to move the whales out to sea, he said.