More Than 30 Stranded Whales Rescued in New Zealand

A pod of over 30 pilot whales has been rescued after becoming stranded on Ruakākā Beach near Whangārei in northern New Zealand on Sunday, according to officials.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) reported that most of the whales were successfully refloated and swam back to sea, though three adults and one calf sadly died.

There were no further strandings overnight.

The rescue operation was led by the local Māori group, Patuharakeke, with help from authorities and the public.

The whales were refloated by lifting them onto sheets.

Patuharakeke stayed on the beach through the night to ensure none of the rescued whales became stranded again.

The DOC praised the rescue effort, calling it "incredible," and thanked everyone involved, including Patuharakeke, Project Jonah, and the many members of the public who helped.

Whale strandings are a natural phenomenon that remains largely unexplained, and New Zealand experiences some of the highest rates in the world.

On average, the DOC responds to around 85 strandings each year, mostly involving individual animals.

Source: BBC News