As many as 140 pilot whales have died after a mass stranding in Mason Bay on Stewart Island.
A hiker reportedly spotted two pods of stranded pilot whales on Saturday at the southern end of Mason Bay, about 2km apart. The hiker later notified New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DoC) staff.
DoC Rakiura operations manager Ren Leppens says at least half of the whales were dead by the time staff arrived at the scene.
“Sadly, the likelihood of being able to successfully refloat the remaining whales was extremely low. The remote location, lack of nearby personnel and the whales’ deteriorating condition meant the most humane thing to do was to euthanise,” Leppens says. “However, it’s always a heartbreaking decision to make.”
The local Māori, tribe, Ngāi Tahu, is now working with DoC to bless the dead whales and make plans for burial of the bodies.
Marine strandings are common in New Zealand, with the country a “hotspot”, according to DOC, who respond to about 85 incidents a year, usually of single animals.
There were a number of strandings on New Zealand shores over the weekend, however DOC said these events were unlikely to be related.
