Six pilot whales have died after a mass stranding at Farewell Spit in the South Island, while volunteers and conservation staff are urgently working to refloat 15 others still alive along a one-kilometre stretch of beach.
About 55 whales initially came ashore, with most managing to return to sea before a group restranded. Project Jonah volunteers have been keeping the whales cool as they wait for the tide, hoping to regroup them so they can swim out together, reflecting the species’ strong social bonds.
The Department of Conservation has deployed rangers, a boat and a drone to the area, where strandings are common due to the spit’s shallow tidal flats and rapidly changing tides.
