WELLINGTON (AP) – More than 30 pilot whales that stranded themselves on a beach in New Zealand were safely returned to the ocean after conservation workers and residents helped to refloat them by lifting them on sheets.
Four of the pilot whales died, New Zealand’s conservation agency said.
New Zealand is a whale stranding hotspot and pilot whales are especially prolific stranders.
A team was monitoring Ruakākā Beach near the city of Whangārei in New Zealand’s north yesterday to ensure there were no signs of the whales saved on Sunday stranding again, the Department of Conservation told The Associated Press.
The agency praised as “incredible” the efforts made by hundreds of people to help save the foundering pod.
“It’s amazing to witness the genuine care and compassion people have shown toward 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.”
A Māori cultural ceremony for the three adult whales and one calf that died in the stranding took place yesterday. New Zealand’s Indigenous people consider whales a taonga – a sacred treasure – of cultural significance. New Zealand has recorded more than 5,000 whale strandings since 1840.
