In one of the sorry news stories to make out out this week , century of pilot whales have choke overnight after stranding themselves on a New Zealand beach . Currently , there are efforts underwayto rescue the remaining 100 whales .
Yesterday , in the early hour of the forenoon local New Zealand time , the Department of Conservation ( DOC ) discovered 416 pilot whale beached on Farewell Spit in Golden Bay on the tip of the South Island . What followed was an hand brake call to arms , after light upon that around 100 were still alive .
Locals were inspire to drop work and schooltime commitments and convene on the beach with buckets , towel , and blankets to keep the whales wet and coolheaded . By mid - morning , the whales had successfully been refloated , but by the afternoon , when the lunar time period come in , around 90 had beached themselves again .
What is clear return the whales safely to open up water so unmanageable is that whales are social animate being and they want to remain close to their seedpod , even if most of them are now all in .
Peter Wiles , one of the first volunteers to reach Farewell Spit , told Fairfax New Zealand : “ It is one of the lamentable things I have seen , that many sentient animate being just do in on the beach . "
video recording footage of the mass stranding is difficult to follow . The Guardian
As of now , DOC official and volunteer are attempt to keep the remain whales alive and as healthy as possible until the next eminent tide , which is tomorrow lunchtime local time ( around midnight Eastern Time Saturday ) .
It is not rare for whales to beach themselves in this bay , due to the shallow water and strong currents making it unmanageable to get out again . However , local experts are not sure what induce this particular one yet .
Around 300 whales and mahimahi strand themselves on New Zealand beaches every class . According to the DOC ’s records , about 5,000 whale and dolphinfish in total have beached themselves since 1840 . This is , however , the third largest bulk stranding in New Zealand history , as usually it is just one or two at a time .
[ H / T : The Guardian ]
