145 Whales Die In Mass Stranding On New Zealand Beach
Two pilot whale pods were discovered stranded on a remote beach in New Zealand Saturday night, November 24, according to a press release by the New Zealand Department of Conservation. The two pods, about 2 kilometers apart, were found by a hiker at the southern end of Mason Bay on Rakiura or Stewart Island.
Of the 145 whales that washed ashore, approximately half of them were already deceased by the time they were spotted. Due to the nature of the stranding, the remaining whales were euthanized.
DOC Rakiura Operations Manager Ren Leppens stated in the press release that euthanization was necessary because of the whales’ deterioration, and the difficulty in gaining access to the shoreline.
“Sadly, the likelihood of being able to successfully re-float 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 added, “However, it’s always a heart-breaking decision to make.”
