More than 30 pilot whales stranded on a New Zealand beach have been returned safely to the ocean after conservation officers and residents helped refloat them by lifting them onto sheets. Four of the pilot whales died, New Zealand’s conservation agency said.
New Zealand is a hotspot for whale strandings and pilot whales are particularly prolific stranders.
A team was monitoring Ruakākā Beach, near the northern New Zealand town of Whangārei, on Monday to ensure there were no signs of the whales rescued on Sunday stranding again, said the Department of Conservation to the Associated Press. The agency called the efforts of hundreds of people to help save the sinking group “incredible.”
“It’s incredible to see the genuine care and compassion people have shown these magnificent animals,” Department of Conservation spokesperson Joel Lauterbach said in a statement. “This response demonstrates the deep connection we all share with our marine environment.”
The agency posted images of the rescue efforts on social media.
A Maori cultural ceremony for the three adult whales and a calf that died in the stranding took place on Monday. New Zealand’s indigenous people consider whales to be a taonga – a sacred treasure – of cultural significance.
New Zealand has recorded more than 5,000 whale strandings since 1840. The largest pilot whale stranding was of around 1,000 whales at the Chatham Islands in 1918, according to the Department of Conservation.
It’s often unclear exactly why strandings occur, but the geography of the island nation appears to be a factor. The North and South Islands feature jutting stretches of coastline with shallow, sloping beaches that can confuse species such as pilot whales, which rely on echolocation to navigate.
Mass strandings of pilot whales have occurred elsewhere in recent months.
In July, 77 long-finned pilot whales were found washed up off the north-east coast of Scotland, with 65 of them already dead. The 12 whales that initially survived the mass stranding had to be euthanized.
In April, a mass stranding of long-finned pilot whales in southwest Australia led to the deaths of 29 stranded creatures, but around 100 whales were rescued and redirected to the sea.
Last year, nearly 100 pilot whales became stranded on a beach in Western Australia, but after a rescue attempt, they are all dead.
Pilot whales are a large species of dolphin, with individuals typically measuring between 19 and 25 feet long and weighing between 2,900 and 5,000 pounds, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The typical lifespan of a pilot whale is between 35 and 60 years, although its survival is threatened by several factors, including chemical contaminants, disease, entanglement in fishing gear, and ocean noise . They tend to travel in dense groups, and much of what is known about the species and their behaviors comes from other mass strandings.
Emily Mae Czachor contributed to this report.
