40 more whales dead threatens 36 at Farewell Spit, New Zealand *UPDATED*

NZ Newswire

January 23, 2012

About 22 pilot whales stranded around Farewell Spit have died and fears are mounting for the remaining 77 as rescuers pack up for the evening.

Project Jonah chief executive Kimberly Muncaster told New Zealand Newswire volunteers had tried desperately to save the whales which became stranded just after midday.

“It was very sad,” she said.

“But there was nothing more that we could have done.”

Volunteers had begun leaving the scene for the evening about 8.45pm on Monday for safety reasons.

Ms Muncaster said although there was only a small chance the remaining live whales would refloat at high tide about 11pm, she remained hopeful.

Volunteers had spent the afternoon trying to keep the whales cool and upright.

Project Jonah marine mammal medics have also been called to give … Continue reading …

nz.news.yahoo.com

Fair Use: Educational

36 dead whales and threatens 40 more on New Zealand beach

Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012

In this Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, photo provided by Project Jonah, stranded pilot whales are helped by volunteers at Farewell Spit on New Zealand’s South Island. A mass-stranding of whales on the New Zealand beach has left 36 of the creatures dead and threatens 40.

phillyburbs.com

Confused pilot whales restrand themselves

By Hayley Hannan

Tuesday Jan 24, 2012

Forty leaderless and confused pilot whales restranded themselves today about 400 metres from where they first beached on Farewell Spit, DoC says.

A pod of 99 pilot whales stranded about 7km along Farewell Spit at about 10am yesterday. Seventeen had refloated by this morning, 36 have died since first beaching, and six remain unaccounted for, said Department of Conservation (DoC) area manager John Mason.

The refloating efforts to move 40 remaining whales looked promising by 10.30 this morning. The pod had been herded together and pointed …

nzherald.co.nz

UPDATED: 1/25/12 7:35am

All the surviving whales from a pod that stranded on the northwest tip of the South Island have been refloated after two days and two attempts by volunteers to save them. Around 100 whales stranded at Farewell Spit in Golden Bay around midday on Monday. Twenty-six whales refloated themselves yesterday, 40 died overall, and the remaining 34 appeared to be making their way out to sea this evening, Project Jonah chief executive Kimberly Muncaster said. The 34 whales, which includes males, females and calves, had been freed by …

stuff.co.nz

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