Something about the water: another mass whale beaching in New Zealand signals spate of strange activity
- More than 50 pilot whales died on Friday, the latest in a string of mass suicide
- Species not normally seen in the country’s waters, such as huge blue whales, have been sighted
More than 50 beached pilot whales perished in New Zealand on Friday, the latest in a spate of mass strandings this week that experts have linked to rising ocean temperatures.
The dead whales were part of a pod of 80 to 90 whales spotted late on Thursday on the shore of remote Chatham Island, about 800km (500 miles) east of the South Island, the Department of Conservation said.
It is the fifth stranding in New Zealand in less than a week, including 145 pilot whales which all died after they beached last weekend at Stewart Island, off the southern coast of the South Island.
By the time rangers reached the latest group of animals early Friday 50 had died, one remained stranded but alive and the rest had refloated themselves and returned to sea.
Department of Conservation manager Dave Carlton said the surviving whale was in poor condition and was euthanised.
“It was the most humane thing to do. This is always an awful decision to have to make,” he said.