Up to 40 pilot whales stranded on a beach have been successfully returned to the ocean in a large-scale rescue operation.
Conservation workers and local residents joined forces to save the stricken mammals, who washed up at Ruakākā Beach near Whangārei in New Zealand.
They used sheets to lift the whales back into the water. Their heroic efforts saved all but four of the whales, including one calf, who did not survive, according to New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC).
The rescue efforts, described as “incredible” by officials, were aided by hundreds of volunteers. On Monday, the DOC continued monitoring the beach to ensure the whales did not return.
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Images of the rescue, shared by the DOC on social media, showed rescuers working tirelessly to save the pod.
A statement put out on Facebook said:
Joel Lauterbach, a spokesperson for the DOC, told reporters: “It’s amazing to witness the genuine care and compassion people have shown toward these magnificent animals.
“This response demonstrates the deep connection we all share with our marine environment.”
Honouring the Survivors
On Monday, a Māori cultural ceremony was held to honor the four whales that perished in the latest incident.
Whales are significant for New Zealand’s Indigenous Māori people, who consider them taonga — sacred treasures.
Pilot whales are among the largest species of dolphin, typically growing up to 25 feet in length and weighing as much as 5,000 pounds. Despite their adaptability, the species faces threats such as ocean noise, entanglement in fishing gear, chemical contaminants, and disease.
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A Nation Familiar with Whale Strandings
Whale strandings are common in New Zealand, with the country recording over 5,000 incidents since 1840. Pilot whales, a species of dolphin, are particularly prone to such events.
Experts believe New Zealand’s unique geography plays a role in these occurrences. The shallow, sloping beaches and protruding coastlines of its islands may confuse the whales’ echolocation, leading them to run aground.
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Mass strandings of pilot whales have also been reported recently in other parts of the world. In July, 77 long-finned pilot whales were discovered on Scotland’s northeast coast, with 65 already dead. In southwestern Australia, a stranding in April left 29 whales dead despite efforts to rescue the group.
The largest recorded pilot whale stranding occurred in 1918 when an estimated 1,000 whales were beached on the Chatham Islands.