Up to 160 pilot whales have stranded themselves along the coast of Western Australia, sparking a rescue effort to save as many whales as possible, according to state and local officials. At least 26 have already died. The whales were discovered on early Thursday morning in the Toby Inlet area near Dunsborough, a town about 187 kilometers (116 miles) southwest of Perth in Western Australia. The state’s Parks and Wildlife Service said four pods of whales were spread across an area of about 500 meters (0.3 mile) near Toby Inlet. Many of them are still in the water but close to shore. “Unfortunate…