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'Horrible' Mass Stranding in NZ Leaves Dozens of Dead Whales
Newser • • world
Key Points:
- A pod of 43 pilot whales has been found stranded along several miles of coastline near Cape Palliser, New Zealand, with authorities believing all are dead.
- When discovered on Thursday morning, at least 20 whales were already beached and only four were alive, but none survived the day according to conservation charity Project Jonah.
- Two whales were successfully refloated, though it is unclear if they were among the initial survivors who later died.
- New Zealand's Department of Conservation is collaborating with local Maori tribes on burial plans, recognizing the whales as taonga, or treasured heritage.
- Pilot whale strandings are common in New Zealand, attributed to factors like shallow waters, coastal conditions, and the whales' strong social bonds, with over 5,000 such incidents recorded since 1840.
